The Prodigy Trilogy, Vol 1:
by EpicFail236
Summary: Choices define us, not just our own, but those around us. When a different choice is made, events are set in motion that open the curtain on an entirely new play, one whose players include not just wizarding Britain, or even the whole wizarding world...
1. Prologue: Three Scenes, Three Choices

The Prodigy Trilogy

A Story in three acts.

Summary: Choices define us, not just our own, but those around us. When a different choice is made, events are set in motion that open the curtain on an entirely new play, one that affects not just wizarding Britain, or even muggle Britain New choices, new friends, and a new enemy means the intrepid heroes of our adventures must set on an adventure far beyond any of them expected.

A/N: This is a personal idea that has been spinning around my head constantly, evolving as it goes, but the basic storyline has stayed the same. Since Its been there long enough, I have decided to get something on paper and see what people think of it. Characters are blatantly borrowed from places, both in principal and directly. Don't expect canon for anything after the beginning of the story (summer before fourth year) or from any external characters. Names have been changed to protect the idiotic. Starts a bit slow, but picks up as we go.

This story is un-betaed, and is probably rife with errors. Anyone with suggestions, comments, or anything else, please feel free to review, though I reserve the right to ignore you. I hope this story is as entertaining to you as it was in my head, but if its not, feel free to leave.

Content/Pairings: lots of OC/OC, HP/HG NL/LL are the only canon pairings I will confirm at this time, though there will be others. Smut will be implied most definitely, written smut is possible, though if it is there, it will most likely be terrible. Violence and such are also expected. Also expect politics and backstory. I plan to write this in a style similar to Steinbeck in Grapes of Wrath, separating story with details, so I expect not all chapters will appeal to all people. Read what you want, skip what you don't.

Note: My brain is a DJ, and most of my thoughts have a soundtrack. Therefore, many of the scenes I will be writing will have soundtracks to them. This does NOT mean I am writing songfics, but I will note if a chapter has an associated track at the beginning, and if it ties to a scene, I will note where that starts.

Disclaimer: I am not making money from writing. Any characters, alive or dead, fictional or actual, implied or otherwise, are completely fabricated. I will not be responsible for any deaths or lawsuits resulting from reading this document.

introduction: Three Scenes, Three Choices

Somewhere in England if you look hard enough you can find a small suburban neighborhood known as Little Whinging. It is a small, clean suburb, one that has managed to avoid a lot of the more 'modern' trends that have seen homes of rather dubious construction and even more dubious residents. In this neighborhood is a street that could very easily have been taken home for home from your typical fifties and sixties TV show, with immaculate lawns, well tended gardens, and smiling and happy neighbors. Like most Hollywood sets, some of this was a false veneer, of course, hiding a few busybodies and gossips, and some slightly dubious characters, but all who lived on Privet Drive accepted this, with the unspoken rule that any cracks in the veneer would be scrutinized yes, but never spoken of. At least, nowhere where anyone would admit it.

One of those homes, however, one Number Four, was the exception to this rule. Not outwardly, of course; The elder residents of this home, a couple by the name of Petunia and Vernon Dursley, did try their best to follow along with the well established way of things in their neighborhood, however one of the residents in the home wouldn't allow them to truly fit in to their existence, through no fault of his own. You see, that boy, one Harry Potter, was a rather extraordinary character. Delivered to the Dursley household in a basket on a Halloween some years ago, the boy, from the time of his arrival, was in many ways the antithesis of the normality presented on Privet drive much to the Dursley's frustration. You see, Harry, through no fault of his own of course, was actually a Wizard. To him, this means a world could be open to him of possibilities and adventures unimaginable by most. The Dursleys, however, saw Harry as nothing but a threat to the existence they had coveted so much for so many years. They felt that the 'perfect' existence they had been working on for so long, and had nearly achieved with Vernon's promotion at Grunnings, was put completely on hold due to the abandoned spawn of James and Lily Potter. This is why they chose to hate Harry, to hide him away. Though they did not outright abuse him as a young child, as they both agreed early on that regardless of the "freakishness" he often exbited he was not to be physically abused. Instead, he was often neglected, while their own child was spoiled and given all the things that he could possibly want.

This is why he lived in a cupboard with little knowledge of his own past until his eleventh birthday. This is why he is currently locked in what was once his cousin's second bedroom, receiving his food from a cat flap in the door. And this is one of the reasons why he was pacing the floor of this room deep in thought late at night.

The past several years had seen many changes in Harry Potters life, from the discovery of new friends and family, to the pain of loss caused by the recent separation from his godfather, Sirius Black, at the end of the previous year. It was these changes, and what he has done in his past, that was running through his head at that moment. As he paced in his small room, looking to the observer rather like a tiger prowling his cage, his mind was whirling, thinking of those who have sacrificed for him. His closest friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, have (with few exceptions) stood by him through three years of what even he would even admit were a long list of trials and tribulations. His parents so many years ago sacrificed their very lives to Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort to protect him, their very sacrifice creating a protection that has guarded him against those who would harm him for most of his young life. Those closest to him had given so much of themselves for him, and though he had grown up in an environment where love was certainly not on the list of things he experienced regularly, he did understand what that meant. His parents loved him and cared for him even after their passing, Ron treated him as good as a brother and Harry cared for him as such as well. Hermione was a true and good friend and Harry...

Here Harry shook his head to clear it slightly, a small grin on his face. He would often do that when thinking about Hermione recently, though he wondered often what exactly that meant. Passing it off, yet again, as a moment lost in thought, he moved on. Sirius, his recently discovered convict slash godfather had spent over a decade in the worst prison in the world, haunted by his worst nightmares come to life, simply because he cared for Harry. All of these people had come together in his mind, a group of people who he knew he would give anything and everything for.

In contrast to these, he took stock of his situation here with the Dursleys. He was aware, of course, that he was here because of protection established by the headmaster of his school, Albus Dumbledore, shortly after the death of his parents. Professor Dumbledore had once or twice inquired of his home life over the years, and he inferred from the conversations that he was aware of the neglect he suffered, but felt that it was a fair trade for protection from much darker forces at work in the world. Though he could respect that decision, he still didn't like it, and wished that he could instead take those protections and shove them up Vernon's arse (he snickered momentarily at this thought) and go to live with his "roguishly handsome, very cool godfather" as Sirius had described himself. At one point, he would have simply smiled and moved on after thinking this, thanking whatever fates put them in his life and accepting that there were some things that just had to happen, but tonight his thoughts drifted from this path. Tonight, the thing that was keeping him up was a single thought, a small snippet of conversation that came from those few precious minutes he was able to spare alone with his godfather before his rather dramatic escape...

_"__Harry__," __Sirius __said__, __his__ change __of __tone __immediately __dousing__ Harry__'__s __rather __good __mood considering the circumstances__ "__I __want __you __to __know__, __I __am__ so __sorry __for __how __things __turned __out__. __I __did __wrong __by__ you __by __going __after __the __rat__. __I __should __have __stayed __with __you__." __Harry __immediately __started __to __vehemently __protest__, __knowing__ that __Sirius __could __not __have __known __how __things __would __have __gone__, __but __Sirius __raised __a __hand __to __stop __him__. "__You __have __to __understand __Harry__, __I __had__ a__ duty __to __you__, __and __I __made __a__ promise __to __James __and __Lily __when __I __first __agreed __to __be __your __Godfather__, __that __I __would __do__ whatever __I __could __to __keep __you __safe__. __I __thought __I__ was __doing __so__, __but __unfortunately__, __I __let __my__ anger __take __hold __of __me__, __and__ made __a__ decision __that __ended __up __dishonoring __that __promise__. __I __just __want __you __to __know __that __from__ now __on__, __I __am __going __to __do__ everything __I __can__ to __make __things __right __between__ us__. __For __you__, __for __your __parents__, __and__ for__ myself__. __I __know __I__ can __never __really __make __it __up __to __you__, __but __I __hope __that __I__ can __do __my __best __for __you __from__ now__ on__... __you __know__, __you __could __come __live __with __me__..."_

And on the conversation went until the unfortunate full moon came out from behind the clouds, putting a damper on any thoughts of having a new home that Harry might have had. However, those few moments, where his newly discovered godfather, one of the few tenuous links to his family, gave him that promise, those words stuck in his head long after all the excitement had faded.

Harry's thoughts drifted from Sirius to all those who had stood by him, his friends, his family, his godfather, and he made a decision there in that moment. Harry was going to do the same thing that his godfather promised him to do. It was only right, after all. He looked over at the small desk that the Dursleys had "gifted" him, where a small cracked mirror was propped up on some of last year's schoolbooks. Through the cracks he looked, right into his own green eyes, and promised himself then and there, that he would do right by those who stood by him. He would make the best of what he had, and do the best for those he cared about, whatever it took to make them, and himself, happy.

He had read a little about magical contracts while doing some research for some of his schoolwork, and he recalled the words that often sealed oaths. He felt it fitting, as this truly was an oath even though it was only to himself, and with a tiny grin "So mote it be." Feeling the magic that sealed the promise to himself come forward for just a moment, he was only slightly surprised to see the glow that accompanied such an oath surround him. It was magic after all. With a new resolve, he nodded to himself in the mirror, the three copies of his face shown by the partially broken glass nodding back, and he climbed into bed to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, he said to himself, tomorrow everything changes.

Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore was in a pickle. Though one would be hard pressed to note it, the ever present twinkle in his eye was slightly forced this evening, as he found himself once again in the International Commission of Education head office in the Geneva headquarters for the International Confederation of Wizards. The commissioner was leaning back in his chair arms folded across his chest, with a self satisfied smirk on his face.

"I have already told you, Albus, that isn't enough! Unless headmaster Karkaroff comes here directly to deliver the paperwork, I cannot consider Durmstrang's entry into the tournament binding. You knew when you decided to bring back this tournament how dangerous it was-"

"I believe I have already proven the point to the commission that I am fully capable of mitigating the risks associated with the tasks."

"Yes but not the hazards associated with the goblet itself! You know as well as I do how dangerous an artifact like that could be. Damn thing would be classifieds as dangerous and destroyed if it wasn't for these tournaments and you know it. No, I refuse to put the world's best and brightest through any unnecessary risk, so you had better hope Igor will be here before midnight, or you can forget about having the tournament."

"I assure you, commissioner, that Igor will be here shortly." Of course, Dumbledore could truly assure the commissioner of any such thing, as Igor Karkaroff, former Death Eater and current headmaster of Durmstrang Academy, was nowhere to be found. It appears that after Albus' eventually successful attempts to convince the man to return to Britain for the tournament, he had decided to disappear for some time. Albus cursed his lack of foresight for not getting him to commit in person while he had the chance. He had hoped by getting what was widely considered the "darkest" students in Europe to come to Hogwarts, he and his staff could subtly convince them to take up the cause of the light, or at least remain neutral in the war to come. Now it appeared that his well laid plans were going to be all for naught. His mind scrambled for a solution, any ray of light that would shine on a solution to this dilemma, but as the clock counted down the moments to midnight.

At five minutes, the sweat started to build on Dumbledore's brow as he seriously contemplated obliviating the man in front of him and implanting a memory of Igor arriving with the proper documents.

At four minutes, he coughed to cover the pang of regret that ran through his head at the thought of doing so. He supposed that the spectre of Gellert's ideals still liked to assert itself head even now, decades after their falling out. He always thought that there was no reason to obey the rules when the end result was all that mattered. It was this corruption of the "Greater Good" that caused the rift between the old friends, and in part was the eventual cause of the last Great War, both in the muggle and wizarding worlds.

At three minutes he realized that he was wasting time reminiscing when he should be thinking of a better way out of this mess.

At two minutes the commissioner leaned forward in his chair and gave Albus a almost sympathetic look. "Well, sir it seems that you are, unfortunately without a third school, and as such, without a tournament-"

"I believe you may be mistaken, commissioner."

Both of the seated wizards turned to look at the source of the new voice in shock, albeit for completely different reasons. The commissioner because he expected that Boone would be willing to participate in this charade willingly, and Albus had already pulled out all the stops convincing the two headmasters that originally committed as it was. "I beg your pardon, miss?"

The woman, dressed in a rather sophisticated looking sleeveless dress in a style more in line with muffle fashions than wizard ones, though still of a conservative length and cut, stepped into the room with a polite smile.

"Good evening, commissioner. I have here all the paperwork you require to enter our school as the third competitor in the tri-wizard tournament" she said, gracefully steeping forward to lay the paperwork on the desk, remaining standing next to he chair Dumbledore was seated in. The chair's occupant was thinking a mile a minute, trying to casually observe this new entry into the game. He was certain he had never met her before, and as such was unsure of what school she might be representing. Her posture and walk spoke of an economy of movement, and her eyes when not focused directly on the commissioner darted around the room, observing everything in her line of sight. His initial opinion of the young woman, whom he believed most people would consider strikingly beautiful he thought, was that she was not someone to be trifled with in any way. She continued to command the attention of the commissioner until Albus cleared his throat loudly, startling him momentarily.

"ah, yes of course" he said, shuffling through the paperwork. Everything seems in order here... representing America? I thought Salem had already turned down the offer to participate..."

"They did, commissioner. The headmaster at Salem felt that the potential risk to the students was too high, regardless of the... assurances of safety." She replied, sparing a sidelong glance at Albus, and what might have been a bit of a smirk, though it happened so quickly it might have been imagined. "However, Salem is not the only educational institution in the Americas, and after some consideration, my sisters and I have decided that the Prodigy school would be willing to take on the risk to represent our country in such a prestigious tournament. Now, I apologize for my forwardness, but if everything is in order, I really must be going, as we have much to do to prepare for the tournament. Sir?" she said, the commissioner, still stunned could only nod his head towards the woman, who nodded, bid the two good evening, and quickly walked out of the room. Both remaining inhabitants remained stunned for a moment until Albus quickly shook himself and bid the commissioner good evening, racing out of the room to catch up with the mysterious woman. He finally caught up with her as she was walking the hallways to the international Floo connections.

"Excuse me miss, a moment if you would, I would like to discuss details around the tournament-" he began, but she interrupted him as she continued to walk to the American connection point.

"I know you most likely have many questions, Professor Dumbledore, and I assure you, we are more than willing to provide you with answers, however I regret to inform you now is not the time for most of them. I need to return to our campus quickly in order to finish our initial preparations, and tell our students of the arrangements, allow them to speak to their families. My sisters and I will be in contact before the next full moon to arrange a meeting with you and Headmaster Maxine to finalize details, and you may ask any questions you wish then. In the meantime, Professor" she said, turning suddenly and facing him directly. He noted with some surprise that her demeanor, changed completely from the strict businesswoman she was in the office to one rather close to a lioness protecting her young. "I suggest you remain true to the words you spoke to the commission, and work to ensure that this tournament is as safe as possible. My sisters and I do not take kindly to our students being put at unnecessary risk. Now, good evening, professor."

And with that, she was gone. Albus stood there for a moment, wondering what exactly had happened just then. It was not often that someone was able to take command of the conversation like that around him, but even more so, she was able to insert herself in the tournament, something that had been painstakingly hidden until the last moment to avoid undue scrutiny by the wrong sort, with what appeared to be very little effort. He had made sure the headmaster from Salem was... disinclined to attend the tournament earlier in the month, since he was sure the position of the American ministries would be one of neutrality in any coming conflict, meaning that having them as an entry would have been counterproductive to his cause. Apparently, some other American school had found out and set themselves in a position to enter the tournament without his knowledge. In fact, this Prodigy school was one that he wasn't entirely sure he had heard of before.

With that, Albus turned and headed back to his ICW office and portkey back to Hogwarts. After a good night sleep, he would have a full day ahead of him tomorrow. He needed this tournament to go by smoothly to ensure that as many resources would be available to him if the war were to resume, as he was sure it would.

It was only a matter of time.

*giggle*

"Oh fantastic, she's giggling again" An eye roll, followed by a punch in the arm

"Stop it, Dee, its not often she's this excited anymore, and I prefer it to her mopin' around all the time."

more giggles "don't worry AJ, it shouldn't happen as much now. Things are changing."

Two blinks "...what?" "You mean..."

*giggles* "Yep, the winds have changed. I can feel it, it kinda tickles a bit. Even better, I think things might be okay now... or at least they might be better than they were."

"W-w-well that's good right? AJ what do you think"

"Dee, we don't know what it means, we never know what it means till she stops her giggling and tells us what it means."

*giggle* "Not this time, this time I need to talk to him first!"

Two more blinks

"But, Pink, the last time you tried to talk to him like that... remember what happened?"

"Yeak Pink, AJ is right, we don't want to you get hurt again."

Suddenly the giggles stopped. Wide eyes turned to the pair. "You don't understand... he's made his choice. He's started on the right path. I have to do this now. It's time for me to make my choice. I have to do my part to help, just like we all do."

"... "

*giggle*

AJ sighs. "Well, you won't stop giggling until you talk to him, will you."

*giggle* "Noper noodle!"

Another eye roll "Alright already, let's go find Dex and get him started on the machine before she starts rhyming everything she says."

*giggle*

**So**** begins ****the ****trilogy ****of ****Prodigy****. ****A**** new**** school****, ****a ****new**** resolve****, ****and**** some ****new ****players****. ****The**** stage ****is ****set****. ****Act ****one ****will ****begin**** soon****, ****take**** your ****seats ****for ****the**** opening ****number****.**

End Prologue.

A/N: I know its pretty awful. But its an introduction. And its setting the stage for the real stuff, which starts soon. I'm starting the writing on chapter one now. R&R, many thanks!


	2. Dreams, Nightmares, and Chances

A/N: Chapter 1, hopefully much better than the introduction. I needed to set the stage, and wanted to get as much information out as possible without getting too wordy. Hopefully the chapters will improve with time, as this really is my first time writing anything as it is. Wish me luck

Lawyer speak: Standard disclaimers apply, see store for details, not valid in states that end in q.

Chapter 1: Dreams, Nightmares and Chances

Harry spent most of the time over the course of the first half of the summer pouring over his old textbooks, trying hard to recall everything from the last three years and commit it to memory. He knew that, given the rather busy time his school had been up until now, he would most likely need to review things he had missed while off on adventures (or generally slacking off when he wasn't, he admitted to himself), and he found he wasn't wrong. Indeed, his books seemed to hold knowledge that he not only found was an excellent refresher, but also some knowledge that wasn't even covered in class. He would take hours in the evenings pouring over the standard spellbooks he had collected over the last three years, working to memorize the books as he had often seen Hermione do while in the common room.

When his aunt would pull him out of his room to do the gardening or some other menial task during the day, he would simply go through the motions of the task. He had done these chores so often when he was younger that he was able to do it almost mindlessly, while he would mimic the wand motions to the spells he had read earlier in the day with his hand while pulling weeds or washing the car with the other, keeping low to the ground and whispering incantations under his breath. The constant repetition seemed to help, as he was able to finish up all of the first year schoolbooks fairly quickly, and started in on second year. He even got a bit of good out of Lockheart's books, though he would never admit it to anyone. Though the man was a complete fraud, it appeared that he was, at the very least, a fairly decent stenographer, as many of the stories actually had some useful information after you dug through the six or seven metric tonnes of self glorifying shite.

Earlier in the summer, Harry had dug managed to sneak a (barely) used composition book from Dudley, and had recently been using it to put some of his thoughts on paper. If he found a spell that interested him, or though of an idea that he wanted to come back to later, he would jot it down in the composition book. He would often wonder when looking back on what he had written, why exactly the wizarding world refused to embrace the pen and paper, but he merely shrugged and chalked it up to simple wizarding prejudice. He made a note to himself to buy more composition books and pens when he went to get his school supplies though. Maybe being able to take notes with a regular pen and paper would end up making his revision sessions later more efficient, having to take less time to translate the chicken scratch his quills often forced him to make on parchment.

In addition, Harry also spent some time during the early parts of the summer writing to his friends. His correspondence with Ron was unsurprisingly short and far between, the letters consisting mostly of simple platitudes and quidditch chatter. The letters he exchanged with Hermione, however, were of much greater substance. There was a sort of catharsis present in the letters exchanged between Harry and his friend over the weeks. They would intersperse questions and thoughts on older schoolwork with personal insights and general chatter, something that for a time made Harry feel almost normal. Harry was currently sitting at his desk reading from the last letter he had received from her, while idly stroking Hedwig's feathers as she read along.

_... although I believe that the intensity of the Bombarda charm cannot really be altered regardless of intent, it seems that the spell is the precursor to the Reducto spell, which is commonly learned by fifth years from what I have been told. The Reducto spell CAN indeed be adjusted based on both power and intent. My research shows that power more often than not simply defines the maximum effect that can be generated by this spell and most other intent/power based spells, and the true power is in the intent. To know for sure, I would need to see the Arithmetic breakdown of the actual spell. I can't wait until we are able to move into the real analysis of spellcraft in arithmancy (Professor Vector says the actual analysis and review of spells doesn't start until after OWL Levels, due to the complexity of most spells, and the danger in mis-calculation, but I don't know if I can wait until then) By the way, had you been able to finish the Arithmancy book i sent you yet? I know some of the math can appear rather complex, but I found that if you just treat many of the more complex symbols and think of it like an algebra problem, it makes so much more sense! Maybe if you can get through the book, you could speak to Professor McGonagall at the beginning of the year and move into Arithmancy with me. I would love to have you with me in that class, it would be so nice to have someone to work with that I can actually study with, so be sure to read the book. Maybe when we meet in a few days at the Burrow, we can revise a bit and I can see where you are with it._

_It has been so nice to have a pen pal for the holiday, Harry. I wanted to thank you again for writing to me so often, when you probably have other things you could be doing with your time. I have really enjoyed writing you over the summer, and I hope we can continue to have these conversations when we get back to school. Until then, however, I await for your next correspondence, good sir._

_Hermione_

Harry sat back in bed, a small smile on his face. She actually enjoyed the conversations! He had wondered when he started the correspondence with her that his questions would end up being so far below her level that she would be hesitant to respond, but it seemed that the conversations at least kept her interested enough to continue to write to him. But what if she was just humoring him? What if he was just embarrassing himself?

Why did any of this matter all of a sudden?

Immediate answers weren't forthcoming, so instead he let his eyes drift closed, and shifted into slumber.

[[PTvol1 Track 1 - This Golden Path by The Chemical Brothers]]

Harry Potter was having the most peculiar dream.

What Harry had hoped would be a simple peaceful slumber had instead started off as a nightmare. While the pain in his head made him fairly sure he really wasn't asleep, he managed to observe some sort of... creature, that was the only way he could put it, as he spoke to the rat Pettigrew and someone else. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, he wasn't able to catch much of the conversation, because as he got close enough to actually hear the three conversing, things seemed to start to fade. As the images faded, though, they had the unfortunate side effect of causing a rather strong pain in his head, coming from his scar. At first, the pain was mostly bearable, not much greater than the pain he felt when accidentally glancing at Quirrelmort during his first year, but as the vision progressed the pain grew until it was nearly unbearable.

Mentally gritting his teeth through the pain, he managed to catch snippets of conversation involving Hogwarts and some sort of plan, though he cynically thought to himself that it would be shocking if someone DIDN'T try to pull of some sort of something at Hogwarts. However, as the pain increased, the images instead faded away, into something else entirely. For a moment Harry thought he heard voices echoing...

"... can't maintain these levels for long..."

"-will be pulling the plug immedia-"

"...Wait... There!"

And with what could only be described as a snap, the pain was completely gone, as was the dreary insides of whatever hovel the Dark Lord was currently staying in. Instead he found himself in someplace entirely different. The dark colors of... wherever Voldemort was hiding were replaced by swirling bright hues from an open field. He couldn't help but stand stock still for a few moments, taking in what could have possibly been, bar a few select places in Hogwarts, the most beautiful place he had ever been. He was so taken with the sights, sounds, and smells ("smells, in dreams?" he thought to himself momentarily) that he failed to notice he wasn't alone until a hand was placed on his shoulder. He startled and spun around, reaching for his wand by instinct, only to find that his wand was not at his side... nor was much else. It seems that wherever he was taken, this place did not see fit to give him any more clothing than what he had slept in, meaning he was in nothing more than a pair of briefs, as the evening had been rather warm in Little Whinging. Immediately, his eyes darted around looking for some way out of this rather embarrassing situation, and finding no immediate relief, he settled instead for uttering out a sound of protest that was similar to an "Urk" but with what might have been a bit of a squeak, followed by a rather heavy blush.

The figure, for that's about all Harry could make out of him, as his dark gray cloak seemed to obscure his whole figure in shadow, let out what he could only describe as a raspy chuckle while shaking its... head maybe? Harry still wasn't sure, as it was like the figure itself seems to slip beyond the grasp of reality, almost as though it wasn't entirely there. The figure wavered in the sunlight, as though your eyes just wanted to wash over it like a wave rolls over the rocks. It was a rather strange sight for Harry, which in itself was extraordinary, given the fact that, due to the rather high number of strange and unexplainable circumstances that often occurred around him, the statistical likelihood of something happening that Harry would consider this far off the charts was extremely slim.

Harry was again interrupted from this train of thought by that same hand being set on his shoulder, this time gently turning him around and gesturing down the path in front of him. Harry looked ahead and saw the dirt circle he was standing in extended into a path that looked almost painted over the green fields on either side. The figure seemed to be gesturing for him to proceed, and as it was, standing here didn't seem to be doing him any good anyway, so he gathered himself up and started to walk. The mysterious figure walked, or possibly glided Harry wasn't quite sure, alongside him as he proceeded towards the hills in the distance. Since the figure didn't seem inclined to be much more communicative than it already was, Harry used the time while walking to observe around him. The flowers that dotted the fields were sometimes identifiable, some of the more mundane variety, such as roses and the like, along with the more extraordinary magical variety. Harry was admiring a particularly vibrant cluster of wisp Lillies when he noticed a single black speck wind its way towards the flowers and land softly on a petal. He would have barely noticed the fly, if it wouldn't have been for the fact that the fly caused... almost ripples of a sort on the flower as it landed, and as he watched, the petal seemed to bend under the weight, then wilt away. Apparently his companion noticed this as well, but rather than stop, it motioned for him to move forward at a faster pace than before. Seeing as he wasn't entirely sure what would happen if such a fly were to land on say his arm, he felt that moving on was also a wonderful idea, so they began to pick up the pace to a brisk walk. For a moment, little changed, until he looked down at his feet, and found the small black flies seemed to be following them, skipping along the uneven ground, darkening anything that the landed on. It was around that point that two things happened. First, the figure seemed to urge them on faster now, as he was having issues keeping up with its pace without jogging, and second, he became aware of a new sound, almost a buzzing that seemed to follow them. Ahead of them the hilltop seemed to be a bit closer. And the mysterious figure urged them now into a full jog as as another sound came to Harry's ears coming this time from above. Harry liked up and saw the source, birds hundreds of them flying along their path, their motions fast and nearly desperate. Harry's eyes followed the path of the flock behind them, and immediately wished he hadn't looked. Streaming over the hillside from where they came, like storm clouds rolling over hills, came millions and millions of tiny black flies. Darkening the sky, turning all behind it into darkness and death. In an almost morbid fascination Harry slowed his pace to stare at the all consuming cloud coming up quickly behind them, until he felt the hand of his companion behind him grab hold of his arm again, this time with a strong solid grip, pulling hard, urging him on. Only this time, while the contact was maintained, he heard the voices again.

"-simacrulum is failing! There is too much corruption!"

"- n't want anyone to be hurt, and your going to end up killi-!"

Harry didn't have any time to contemplate any of this though, as the swarm of flies was now nearly at their heels. Harry stumbled to a stop as his companion suddenly turned and raised its hands in the air. A flash and suddenly the flies were held still, as though an invisible barrier has been erected. The figure stumbled slightly as the living mass seemed to push against the wall, as if it was by will alone that the plague was being held back. For a moment it appeared that the flies would be turned back, but to Harry's horror, they instead began to merge and... change. The vaguely humanoid, though gigantic character confused Gary for a moment until it raised its head to look at them, revealing a pair of crimson eyes, ones that Harry knew application too well.

"I HAVE SEEN YOUR MIND, HARRY POTTER."

the voice alone was enough to make him flinch, as though a fork was drug over a plate then the sound was fed through a megaphone. Even his companion seemed to be affected by it as it braced itself.

"AND IT IS MINE!"

And with that, a single monstrous hand smashed against the shield, forcing his companion to its knee. The shock from the impact even knocked Harry on his arsenal, who blinked, then turned to look at his companion... even though they never spoke a word between them the body language was enough for harry to receive the message loud and clear.

RUN!

Picking up to a sprint, Harry barreled down the dirt path, stumbling occasionally, not stopping to look back as the smashing sound of the monster beating on the strange shield grew softer as he continued to put distance on the conflict, his muscles straining with the effort to climb to the crest of the hill as the figure had indicated. Suddenly the banging stopped in the distance. Harry refused to slow his pace, yet he hoped that his unknown defender had managed to subdue the horrible beast, or at least was able to survive the encounter. His hopes were dashed however, as the familiar buzzing started to grow in intensity, accompanied now by a loud roar, one reminiscent of the cries made by the ethereal spirit of Lord Voldemort upon his banishment at the end of first year. In a nearly blind panic, Harry poured on his last burst of speed, feet pounding the dirt, only yards remaining in between himself and the crest of the hill. As his destination approached, his eyes focused on what was ahead of him in the path. A simple door, in a frame, not against a wall, as though it was just there, set in space. He had little time to ponder the origin of this door, however, as the beast was now nearly on his heels. Throwing his weight against the door, he found the door to be unlocked and crashed through it, falling to the ground. The roar of the beast was so close now, he could feel the air from the force of his cry. On instinct, he rolled over and with a swift kick, slammed the door right in the face of the monster. with a mighty slam, the beast was silenced behind the door.

Silence.

That was all that Harry Potter heard now, silence. well, that, and the sound of his gasping breaths, and the pounding of his heart in his chest. For several minutes he lay there, face up on the dirt path, eyes screwed shut, as he willed himself to calm and his breathing to slow. Painstakingly, he took stock of himself. Still here. Still on a dirt path. Still in his underwear. No idea why this dream is even happening, or whats going on. Still unsure of why he is able to smell things in a dream. Now aware he smells absolutely terrible. No longer aware-

"Wakey Wakey sleepy head!"

"GAH!" Harry cried sitting up suddenly, only to immediately collide with whomever was standing over him and falling back down to the ground, clutching his head.

"Ow! Jeeze, you didn't have to go and do that!" the voice cried out. Harry, after hearing this, had decided that enough was quite enough, and that he wasn't going to cooperate anymore with anything until things made sense again.

"Well I'm Bloody sorry I ran into you while trying to stand up, but if you aren't already aware, this whole damn dream is getting a little too much for me to tolerate, so if you would... kindly... give..." Harry trailed off as he turned to face whatever assailant had managed to find themselves in his way, only to find none other than Hermione Granger sitting on the ground nursing what would probably end up being a large lump on the side of her forehead. "Her-Hermione?"

"What?" Hermione replied, tilting her head to the side in a distinctly un-Hermione-ish way. Suddenly understanding lit up in her eyes and she quickly replied "Oh! I see, you are confused! I'm not really Her-whosits or whomever you think I am. See, you probably know you're in a dream of course and although i am in this dream its not really me in this dream its just a piece of me, see there was this projection thingy that Dex was talking about and he said something about residual something or others and then started talking in big words until AJ went and hit him upside the head with a notebook to get him to calm down which she really has to do all the time with him because he tends to ramble a lot especially when he starts talking about science-y things and he does that all the time you know? you have someone like that, somebody who wont stop talking about stuff they're really really passionate about?" *deep breath* " but anyway the long story short is that I totally am not whoever you think I am and instead Im a projection of someone else that your mind doesn't understand so it just makes you think i look and sound like someone else that you do know though to make it easier for you to understand, get it?"

... what?

Harry of course was completely unsure of how exactly to respond to such an inquiry, though he guessed that she did get points for at least answering his original question. As such, he felt it prudent to continue with his line of questioning. So he dug into his thought process and decided to ask the next question that came to mind. "...Huh?"

The non-Hermione sighed and walked over to the still seated Harry, squatting down next to him and set her hand on top of his. For a moment, Harry had to collect himself and remind himself that this was both a dream, and not a real Hermione, as her very close proximity while he was in this state of undress was doing nothing for his teenage sensibilities. However, when he looked up from their hands to her eyes, he couldn't help but be held captive by her expression.

"I want you to know, that there are those of us out there who understand why you made the promise you did. Your oath the one you made a while ago?" Harry could only nod as she continued, "Well it changed things. For the better. Just know that even though lots of bad stuff will probably happen, if you want to work hard enough at it, you'll be able to keep your oath. And maybe even more good stuff will happen!" with that, she gave him a wink and a little giggle, causing him to blink in surprise. Then she leaned in even closer to him and said in almost a whisper "Keep your friends close, make new ones when you can, and always remember that oath, Harry Potter. Now... wake up!" And with that she tapped the space on his forehead just between his eyes with a fingernail. he started in shock, but she leaned forward and did it again.

"Ow, why are you..." He half sat up, blinking as he found himself in his room at the Dursleys once again. Hedwig was perched on the headboard of his makeshift bed, and quickly leaned over to give him another poke between the eyes with her beak.

"Hed, cut it out" Harry said, waving the bird away slightly, only to have her bark, then turn her head to glare pointedly at the skittering clump of feathers that was bouncing around Hedwig's usual perch. It appeared that Pig had found his way in with a letter early, and Hedwig was not about to allow the bird to stay any longer than was absolutely necessary. With a sigh, Harry climbed out of bed, surprised to find that he actually felt his muscles protest a bit with the effort, as though the run from his dream was more than fantasy. He stumbled over to Pig, and retrieved the letter quickly, unrolling it as Pig was unceremoniously moved from Hedwig's perch to the windowsill and out into the morning light. Harry then turned his attention to the letter, but couldn't shake the vision of the dream from his head. He could feel some excitement stirring in him as he read about his invitation to the Quidditch world cup, but as he moved to pack his things in preparation for the Weasley's arrival tomorrow morning, he couldn't help but drift back to the peculiar dream he had. First what could only have been described as a vision from Voldemort, then that peculiar thing with the non-Hermione person spending time in his personal space, he couldn't help but wonder...

What exactly does this all mean?

A/N: So surprised, less than a day up and I've already got followers, favorites and everything. Thanks to all of you, I can only hope you enjoy reading! Don't like it, let me know! Questions? Ask them! Funny jokes? Hell, why not?


	3. Excerpts 1

Prodigy Trilogy Book 1, Chapter 3: Excerpts 1

A/N: Thanks so much for reading, and for the favorites and follows. I hope I can continue to entertain you all. This is a short interlude with some historical information, background, and off-story details. It may or may not apply to the story as a whole, but I feel like it is mostly on-topic. As always, available for flaming/questions/comments. Enjoy!

_"...it is a well accepted fact in most magical circles that the use of magus talents of most kinds is by its nature incompatible with most mundane technological advancements that have been made in the last seventy years. Countless numbers of recorded documentation is available in the archives of most magical communities to correlate this statement, however little research has been documented publicly in an attempt to quantify both the causes for such direct interference, or of any ways to counteract such interference. Through experimentation, however, we have been able to determine, to a certain extent, the probably sources of the incompatibility between the magic arts and current mundane engineering. The goal of this paper is to provide a founding structure to the interaction of magic to mundane understanding of energy, and use this to create a possible platform for both further study of the phenomena, and posit a possible set of solutions allowing the interaction of magical and mundane technologies..."_

_"... It is generally accepted fact that magical beings naturally possess a core of energy that is both essential to the use of magic, and unique to each individual. It is this core that allows the use of uniquely attuned foci, such as wands and staves, and allows specific detection methods to identify individuals by the signature left by their magic after casting (Goshawk, et. al. p164)..."_

_"...This raises a question of how different unique cores can, though casting an identical spell, be able to achieve the same results. Arithmancer Septima Vector concluded that the unique intent each magi creates internally while casting a spell (arithmatic factor mI) is actually a non-static variable, and actually adjusts itself internally, based upon the unique core of the caster itself, thus equalizing any differences in the users core and creating, in the end, a mostly similar result. (Vector p13) This end result is actually uniquely measurable, however, as the arithmatic signature is not removed from the spell, instead countered by the intent factor. The offshoot of this, of course, is that two people, casting the same spell in a vacuum, would in essence create two unique magical signatures while releasing the same spell results. This unique signature is measurable via both magical means (i.e. Incantatus family of spells) and mundane means (Spectrographic mappings) This unique mapping also is the core factor in the interference experienced by mundane technology during spellcasting, and also serves to explain how most mundane technologies can still work in environments where spells are not actively being cast..."_

_"... as most of the more recent muggle technology uses these same electrical impulses in most technology. However, the technology used by the mundane is by nature inorganic, and as a result, the Intent factor cannot be accurately accounted for by mundane engineering. As a result, the system of transporting and harnessing this energy is, in itself, lacking the ability to compensate for unique changes in the impulses sent to it, instead relying on a steady stream of energy in a constant pattern to perform its tasks. Mundane electronics, in their current state, can only withstand the shift in magical fields equivalent to an mI of approximately .0667, dependent on the quality of construction of the material. Any assertion greater than this limit will cause the circuitry to overload, and will cause at best moderate malfunction or temporary interference, and at worst the destruction of the integrated circuitry. As such, most mundane electronic devices will actually function normally in the presence of most magus and creatures who have magical cores (the few notable exceptions are the Yeti, whose natural mI have been measured at an average of 1.974, and some water-borne creatures for similar reasons). This damaging of electronics is actually a phenomenon that can be duplicated by mundanes via certain devices, though the usage of many cause destruction on much higher levels than simple circuitry damage..."_

_"...therefore, in certain circumstances, an extremely well trained magus, or someone with a natural core resonance near enough to the limits mundane technology can experience, could in theory use magic directly via intent to control such device as though they were living extensions of the users magic. Though this level of control has not been recorded or duplicated in any viable experiment, and it is extremely unlikely to do so, it is possible to duplicate some of this effect by encasing a mundane device in a magical field attuned specifically to the resonance of the intent provided to it. Using a sufficiently attuned runic structure, a mundane device could even be enchanted in such a way as to not only work successfully in heavily magical environments, but the magic could be used to enhance the use of such devices in ways mundane science is currently incapable of duplicating..."_

- Excerpts from article "On the theories of magical influence on mundane technology" published anonymously via the Prodigy Foundation. Article released June, 1992. subsequently banned from public review in July 1992 in magical Britain and most of the European magical commonwealth.

_"I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Potter's presence in this event was merely coincidental, seeing as the boy was found without a wand, and initial scans of both Mr Potter himself and his wand found that the two had not been in contact for some time before our investigation. In addition, the house elf witness seemed to be far to convenient for the circumstances, as the likelihood of an elf successfully casting such a spell with a magus wand is suspect at best. initial scans of the wand in question found that the morsmordre cast from the wand did NOT have Mr. Potters signature, however the signal was not one that was identified in our immediate records. Further investigation of the wand and signature were curtailed by executive involvement. At this point, I do not feel the need to monitor the actions of one Harry Potter, though if possible, I would like to request an informal interview with the house elf in question as an alternative, and possible for a full signature scan..."_

- Excerpt from Auror Davis Richards, DMLE, report to head of DMLE Amelia Bones re: case 16554 - Quidditch World Cup investigation. investigation was not pursued further due to executive influence.

_"... We at the ministry believe that, even after so many years, many wounds from our past still are raw. The heinous acts performed by terrorists under the banner of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named more than a decade ago are still a burden on our hearts even to this day. Last night, a small group of ruffians decided that it would be amusing to play on these fears and burdens, and took to the night in disguises, and once again those old wounds were reopened. Families who lost loved ones were forced to remember those long past times, and our prominent upstanding citizens were threatened, even in jest. We want the peoples of magical Britain to know that we do not stand for these sorts of pranks, and make a call to all of you, as fellow residents of this great nation, to inform the Ministry if you know of anyone who participated in this atrocity, or have any information related to the safety of this great nation."_

- Excerpt from the Ministries offical statement regarding the events at the Quidditch world cup

_To All Educators and Mentors of the Prodigy Institute of higher unified learning, their parents, guardians and care givers, Greetings._

_As most of you are aware, since the gossip mill runs much faster than the office printers, but our bid for the third seat in the newly resurrected tri-wizard tournament has been successful. Per the earlier decisions of the coven and the school board, the twenty standard track students have already been selected at random from this year's roster. The five students from the advanced track that will be attending will be notified this evening. In addition, there will be no less than four members of the staff available to the students at all times, including at least one of the members of the coven. In addition, the current lab classes run by both staff and students will still be available to these students during this time. In order to further the spirit of international cooperation that this tournament is supposed to foster, we will be merging some of these classes with several unique classes offered by both Hogwarts and Beaubatons. I truly believe this to be a new opportunity to expand our educational curriculum for the chosen students, and gives us the unique opportunity to share our knowledge with a previously un-reachable group._

_That being said, I also want to offer this warning to both students attending and truly to everyone else. We, as a school are sadly rather unique. Each and every one of you was accepted to the Prodigy Institute because your unique gifts and talents separated you from the status quo, and your drive and ambition gave you the edge you needed to succeed academically in a highly competitive environment. Your dedication and loyalty has given you the courage you needed to push through the trials that come with being unique in a world that expects conformity. The lands that we will be visiting are inhabited by a group of people who are primarily the recipient of a single type of gift, the gift of magus. Though some, including the headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore, know and accept that there are truly many gifts that are given to us for many reasons, there are those of those people who believe this gift to be the only true gift, to the exclusion of all others. In addition, there are those who may feel that the source of some of your gifts, or the sacrifices required to use them, are inappropriate both to learn and to use. A base example of this is the use of blood in rituals and spells, which I am aware is a common factor in many of the students attending the school at this time. Note that, although I have been assured that no direct consequences will occur from the practice of any required rituals, or as a need from further studies, I ask that you practice discretion while working on certain tasks and duties, as there would be many who would seek to take advantage of the blinders placed upon this society for their own benefit._

_While you are there, or while you observe from afar, you will most certainly be faced with the arrows of judgement from these people. Know now that you were chosen for this station, and those who may look down on you for your gifts are nothing other than ignorant of the true beauty that exists around us all. Stand strong, together as a group, as a family, for that is what you are, each providing a unique gift to share with all the others, simultaneously teaching and learning, for the benefit of the individual as much as the whole. These people cannot touch you while you all stand as one. But know that you must take care not to overly provoke these people, nor to be quick to anger or violence, as any overt conflict will most certainly be interpreted incorrectly with the explicit intention of shattering any fragile alliance we may develop with these new friends and colleagues. Therefore, we all must remain vigilant and sure in our stance as a school and a community. Anyone can be accepted at Prodigy, and when they are welcomed, they are welcomed with open arms._

_Further details will be provided to the directly affected students shortly with details and specific tasks to accomplish before the term begins. All students will receive further information before the fall term beings in September, and the send off ceremony will occur on October 1st._

_I hope that you all are well over this holiday, and look forward to meeting with you all again in a few weeks when term begins. Thank you for your time, and please remember that I, my sisters, and all my staff are available for questions at anytime. May the countenance of the queen shine favorably on you._

_Sincerely,_

_Tamara Sine_

_ Headmistress, Prodigy Institute_

A/N: Thanks for listening! Next chapter will be back to the story.

End Chapter


	4. Conflicts and Resolutions

Prodigy trilogy, volume one.

A/N: Another chapter come and gone. This one should bring me over ten thousand words, making it the longest thing I've ever written solely for my own gratification. As always thanks for reading.

Chapter three: conflicts, and resolutions.

"...and I can't believe that Mister Crouch would do something like that to that poor Elf!" Hermione continued in her rant. She had been on this kick for the last four days, ever since returning from the disastrous events at the world cup.

"Blimey Hermione, not this again, haven't we gone over this enough? I mean, we all saw what happened. It wasn't like he killed her or anything!" Ron replied in an exasperated voice. He had also been on a kick for the last few days, though his was oriented instead towards getting Hermione off the topic she was currently on. Harry had, for the most part, been a casual observer of these arguments while they were together, and had seen their progression from simple discussions early on, to all out fights The one that ended the last evening saw all three of them heading off to bed early, Hermione in a fit and Ron in exasperation. Harry, of course, not having anyone left to speak to, had wandered around the Burrow for a time, before heading off to bed himself. He didn't sleep however, as his short conversation with Arthur that evening had played through his head...

_"Evening Harry" Arthur had said, stepping into the kitchen and heading towards the shelves._

_"Evening Mister Weasley" Harry replied, rather morose after observing the rather heated conversation between his best friends. Arthur paused momentarily in his preparations for tea, glancing over kindly at the young man who might as well be a surrogate son._

_"How bad was it this evening then?" He asked Harry, who simply sighed, and shook his head "Of course... they both turned in earlier than usual tonight, I suppose it stands to reason that it wasn't pretty."_

_Harry groaned and put his head in his hands "It really wasn't, sir. I mean, I try to get them to compromise, to see reason, but Ron can be just so stubborn sometimes, and I don't even think he knows how much he's hurting Hermione by not even listening. And Hermione, once she gets something into her head like this there's no stopping her. Shes just so intense about these things."_

_Arthur nodded, having seen the occasional row break out in the time he spent at home over the last few days. "They are both very strong willed people, and they come from very different places, Harry. Its no surprise that their outlook on certain things differ." He set the kettle on the stove and turned on the fire with a twist of his wand. Then he paused to look at the stove and said, almost to himself, "Its often how we look at things, not what we know about them, that cause conflicts." He then looked up over at Harry, who was looking at him with a question in his eyes. "You know, Harry, this afternoon, I had to head into a muggle flat in London to check for some cursed objects that we had detected. When I got there, I found a muggle couple sitting there with a biting teacup, laughing over how it worked. Protocol states I probably should have obliviated them right away, but something held me back for a moment, watching this couple... experiment with a cursed object. I was reminded of the shed I keep out back, and all of those muggle contraptions, and I saw for a moment that really, we are no different than them, in a way. Just a group of people who were looking at something they had never seen before, and trying to make sense of it."_

_Harry sat there, eyes focused on Arthur, completely into the story he was telling as he got out a few cups and started preparing for tea as the kettle started to steam. Arthur started to absently pour the tea, continuing as he did._

_"I watched for a few more moments, then knocked on the door and came in, informing the couple of why I was there, and asked them a few questions, telling them who I was, knowing that in a few moments it wouldn't matter anyway. But this time, while checking for other cursed objects around the house, I asked questions. You know, they have stoves like ours Harry? Except theirs sometimes use that new muggle invention ekel- excuse me, e-lec-trici-ty." Harry grinned at the attempt at a correct pronunciation. Arthur chuckled, then sighed. "I realized after that conversation, that didn't really last more than ten minutes really, that even I, one of the people who should know more about muggles than anyone given my position, had information that was so far outdated it was almost criminal. It was sad, when I obliviated them. I wondered on my way back to the ministry if maybe what I was doing was playing party to that ignorance."_

_they sat in silence for a minute, each sipping their tea, sitting at the large kitchen table, Arthur's face tight with circumspection, while Harry began to look pensive. Then, Harry, hesitantly spoke into the silence. "Sir, after finding out what you did today, do you think your perspective on muggles have changed?"_

_Arthur grinned. "Well that's the thing, isn't it? A little perspective can change your opinion rather quickly, can't it? I know over the future, I will be doing the best I can to make sure I bring myself up to speed in regards to muggle culture. Maybe you can help me there, Harry?"_

_And with that, Harry's pensive look turned into a grin. They spent the next several hours discussing muggle society and technology, and how much it had changed over the last several decades. It wasn't until after another pot of tea, and Molly coming in to shoo them off to bed, that they realized how late it had been. The both went to bed, glad to have been given a bit of perspective on the others lives, even if it was in a very broad sense. Harry also went to bed with the feeling that Arthur Weasley was a much smarter man than most people made him out to be._

It was this conversation that drove him, for the first time in days, to insert himself into this argument. "Has anyone asked them?"

This answer seemed to bring them both up short. It seems that the oncoming argument was derailed, however it meant that both peoples ire was turned towards their friend.

"What're you on about mate? I thought you were with me on this one?" Ron blurt out first his face with an incredulous expression.

"I'm just saying, do we know what happened from the elves' perspective? Has anyone thought to ask them why they are where they are? I mean, I saw Dobby take down Malfoy with no effort, and we know he was more than capable of bashing my head in with a bludger. They are obviously strong enough not to be slaves, why not ask them why they are?"

Hermione shook her head "Harry, you can't just take what happened with one elf and apply it to all elves, Dobby was obviously different, he wanted to be free. Maybe the others are too deeply enslaved. Maybe they're convinced they should be."

Ron also shook his head and said "Yeah mate, Dobby's kinda nutters. Probably wouldn't get a straight answer out of him anyway, he'd spend way too much time praising the 'great Harry Potter sir'" which got a snicker out of both Harry and Hermione. Then Harry's face turned pensive again.

"Maybe Ron, but really, we don't know what they think. I wouldn't hurt to find some house elves and ask them would it? Get their perspective?"

Ron just shook his head and stood up making to leave "Your nutters mate. No one asks the house elves anything, I don't think they could tell you anyway. Why would you want to know what they think anyway? It's just how they are." And with that he walked out of the room and headed to the kitchens. Harry shook his head, disappointed that his friend would think like that, and turned to find Hermione looking at him, a pensive expression on her face.

"Harry... where did that come from?" she asked. Harry just shrugged.

"I was talking to Mister Weasley last night, he got me thinking about points of view. I mean, I should know about that, depending on the year, everyone either thinks I'm Merlin's gift to magic or some sort of planet destroying... thing." He chuckled here, while Hermione looked on. "I guess, I just wouldn't want anyone to judge me without seeing it from my side, why not think about others too? Maybe the house elves are really slaves, maybe something else is going on. I don't know, but I don't want to say anything until I find out what they think."

Hermione blinked. then she blinked again. Her next question came out as a whisper. "Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?"

Harry looked up at her, eyes meeting for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"The Harry I knew... you just wouldn't... wow." she said. Harry grinned, amused that, even for a moment, he was able to make Hermione Granger speechless.

"I've been doing that a lot recently. I guess, since earlier this summer, I've surprised myself even. Things just seemed to change, you know?"

Hermione shifted closer to him, looking in his eyes still. "Harry, what happened? You hinted at something in your letters, but you never really went into details. What happened this summer that changed things for you so much?"

Harry's first instinct was to play it down, change the subject. Harry wanted in his mind to just say it was nothing, to just play it off as some sort of studying kick. But then he realized, that the only way he could keep his promise to himself, to do right by his friends, was to tell them the truth. to tell them everything... at least if they asked. And since Hermione had asked...

In the end, he had told her everything, from the promise he made, to the studying, to the letters to his friends and to Sirius. He even told her about the strange dream he had, which made her stop and ask questions. He tried his hardest to plow through the end of the story, though he stammered a bit when talking about the girl at the end, which caused Hermione to halt the story and ask why he was so nervous about telling her the details of the dream. His reply of "because... the form that the girl took, that... um person, well... it was..."

"yes, Harry?" she said, ready to poke fun at him for whomever person he would mention. He assumed it was most likely going to be Cho Chang, as he had surreptitiously observed him glancing occasionally in her direction. She was completely unprepared, however for his mumbled reply of "it was you." She blinked, thinking for a moment that he was just taking the mickey, but the expression on his face as he completely refused to look in her direction totally shot that idea down. She blinked for a moment, her mind wandering across various planes, until she just smiled a small smile and bade him continue with the story. He did after a moment, returning to his regular self after a bit, and finished up the story. They spoke for a few moments reasoning what the dream meant, and what the pseudo-her was trying to say, until Molly came into the room to tell them Lunch was ready, and things got derailed. She was given a list of chores to do afterwards that kept her away from Harry for the remainder of the afternoon, which was in a way a good thing, as it gave her time to think. She thought over all of the things he said, of course. the oath he made, and how if he wasn't careful it could be used against him - she would need to make sure to tell him not to reveal that oath to anyone other than his closest friends. She thought off the end of the dream.. then started thinking about the studying he was doing. She was glad he was taking his studying so seriously end of that dream... dammit, that's not all that happened! Hermione actually sighed out loud. It wasn't often that her thoughts would get derailed like they were this afternoon. She really wasn't sure what to make of what the girl who was using her image was saying about her, but she would assume at the very least that, if there really was someone who was communicating with Harry through his dreams, that the first person to come to his mind when it came to a intelligent passionate individual was her was flattering at the very least...

So it was only fitting that at the very end of the day, she screwed up her courage and before crossing the hallway to her room, she stopped Harry in the hallway, and whispered in his ear.

"Thanks Harry"

"For what?" he replied, his voice low.

"For everything." she said, knowing he would understand what she meant. Harry simply nodded. She then leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek and walked away, a small smile on her face. Harry, of course, was simply standing there, staring her way, a hand on his cheek. After a moment, he gave a grin, and turned in for the evening. Tomorrow was the first of September, and there was a lot to do before heading back to Hogwarts.

A/N: Another detail chapter up next, probably in the next 24 hours. Read, Review, Like or Dislike. either way, you've gotten this far. thanks for listening!


	5. Excerpts 2

A/N: More readers and a few reviews even! Responses to reviews are down at the bottom of the chapter. For now, some more learning for you!

The Prodigy Trilogy Chapter 4: Excerpts 2

_"Getting to Hogwarts in the earliest years was not a static procedure. Most of the students of the school traveled on foot or horseback in their early years, if they weren't able to be transported by another witch or wizard. From the farthest reaches of Britain, however, the trip would often take days and was fraught with peril. For that reason, many muggleborns would end up relocating to the villages surrounding the castle, both for convenience and safety during the turbulent times that surrounded the age of the founders. As the smaller villages grew in size, the local muggle regents began to notice the growth in wizarding population, and grew fearful for his lordship over the lands not granted to the school by the King. He began to persecute wizards, and assumed wizards on his property, killing some and driving others from their lands. One of these, a man known as Hengist of the small village of Woodcroft, recently driven from his farmland, came to the founders requesting shelter. The four founders, after consideration, gave him far more than he had assumed. A large plot of land a few kilometers from the castle, just off the main roadway through the then enchanted forest, large enough to house a city, became property of the magical citizens, shortly becoming the end point for supplies and transportation in and out of castle Hogwarts, and the Hengist became steward of the city of Hogsmeade..._

_...As time went on, however, the development of advanced transportation techniques such as longer distance apparition, and the spread of floo travel brought on by more advanced building structures, witches and wizards now had the ability to easily reside further away from the school, and witches and wizards again spread around Britain._

_The counter to this, however often meant that there was an increased risk involved with getting students to school during wartime, as both muggle and wizarding wars would often bring risk to parents and students alike. It was for this reason that the "great magical way" was created, a pathway from the southern coast of the UK to Scotland and Hogwarts, traveling along the major ley lines that ran northwards up the center of the island. Using this transport lines, and various magical protections established by the greatest wizards of the time, many students were able to transport to and from the school safely, regardless of distance._

_This method of transportation was broadly accepted until 1940, when Gellert Grindelwald's campaign of terror moved from the continent to the home front. Using a still unknown method, Grindelwald's forces managed to either block entirely or severely hinder most long-distance magical transportation, hijacking floo connections and setting up splinch nets preventing most wizards from traveling more than a few dozen miles without risking severe personal harm..._

_...It was Albus Dumbledore, in the early spring of 1941, who proposed a solution to the issue in regards to the transport of magical folk by purchasing a damaged muggle steam engine from the London bombings, and, using the combined magical efforts of the Hogwarts staff at the time, built a rail line from Kings Cross station in London all the way to the landing point in Hogsmeade. The rail line was a miracle of modern wizarding work, the very metal lines the train rode on were covered in protection runes that could be activated by staff on the train at anytime, saving the lives of students and other riders more than once. Drawing from the same ley line that powers Hogwarts herself, the Hogwarts Express created a line of transportation not just for the students, but a safe line of transport for all magical folk during a troubling time..._

_...since the resolution of the wars, the Hogwarts Express has become more of a figurehead than a bastion of safety, but out of respect for those who fought to keep our children safe, the Hogwarts express still transports students to and from the school each year. A beacon of safety and security shining in the morning sun..."_

- Selections from "History of the Hogwarts Express" by Remy Marquis, Published by the Ministry Historical Preservation Society

_"... the meeting with the heads was both enlightening and somewhat disconcerting. Olympe was larger than life, as usual. I need to be sure that I subtly note to Hagrid that he should help Olympe as much as possible. Both of them being in such unique situations, they should take whatever time they can to be happy. The new conditions set for the year should also allow the students to intermingle, hopefully forging the stronger ties that will be necessary in the coming darkness..._

_...It was the time spent with headmistress Sine that was both invigorating and frightening. Before this time, Tamara has been unable to meet me in person, instead communicating through proxies in her coven, or via post. Her fellow coven members were polite, if a bit direct, but I sensed little if any deception from them during our discussions, though I often felt that they were less conciliatory than they could have been over certain things, especially in conformity to things like uniforms. The meetings with the other coven members, however, did little to prepare me for meeting mistress Sine directly._

_From the moment she arrived in my floo, she commanded the attention of all in the room. Ludo was absolutely bending over backwards to accommodate her wishes for the entire meeting, though to her credit she never took advantage of the situation to turn things in her favor. The details of the challenges were worked out with little argument, though both Olympe and Tamara were sure to emphasize the need for safety and monitoring during such dangerous tasks. It was actually refreshing both to see other educators so concerned for their students, and challenging to create a safety net capable of convincing the two of my devotion to the cause._

_The truly interesting points from the evening came after the Ministry delegation departed for the evening, and Olympe had taken her leave after having her fill of my finest brandy, leaving Tamara and myself alone in our discussions. It is not often that I am able to have a conversation that challenged me as much as this evenings did. Headmistress Sine believes wholly in embracing the gifts of the children under her care to improve their lives, and the society they participate in. Such open mindedness is completely unheard of in Britain, and even on the continent is not often seen to this extent. I fear, however, that her desire to embrace so many different types of people means that the potential for corruption exists there, the potential for darkness. I mentioned this to her, whereupon her countenance quickly turned from the genial one she held through the meeting to one of barely repressed rage and disgust. I felt compelled to clarify myself, only expressing my concerns that the darkness that can reside with some arts, and the potential for inexperienced children to suffer from the corruption that often precedes evil. She then stood, pacing for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. When she spoke again, looking into the fire, her words carried a weight, one that I knew all too well._

_'Headmaster, I understand truly the corruption of which you speak. Many of the students you will meet will have, in one way or another, been touched by evil, been affected by it. The scars from such contact rarely go away. But instead of hiding them away, instead of taking part of who we truly are and putting it in a corner, we choose to embrace it. The scars that evil leave make us stronger for them, and though some of us have embraced the darkness in our lives, we have all pledged, on our lives, and on the lives of those around us, to turn away from the evil that follows. Don't get me wrong, Albus, there is pain walking that line. I am saddened when I have to see it in the faces of some of our students. However, I take strength and comfort in the fact that every time a student suffers, another is there to stand beside them. None of us are ever alone.'_

_Our conversation ended not long after that, though we parted on good terms. I find myself awaiting the arrival of the schools again soon with an anticipation I haven't felt in many years. I see such potential for this year, but I know what awaits us as well in the future. I know that the steps that we all take in the coming months, students and adults alike, will start us on a path to an uncertain future. And if this year marks the opening salvos of war, I can only hope that new scars will not come so quickly..._

- Selection from the personal diary of Albus Dumbledore, August 1994

Another chapter come and gone. Like it? Didn't like it? Didn't care? Hey, you read this far, so at least you read it! Thanks for listening!

Answers to reviews - Thanks for writing!

ladysavay - Hope this chapter helped a bit! I know it seems I'm being deliberately obtuse, however I can't really get into the new characters until they arrive after the school year starts. I'm trying to lay out a foundation that hopefully the arrival of the new school will be able to build on. I'm trying to make things move along as quickly as I can without missing things, and still keeping with the style I'm trying to write in. Also, I'm new to this whole fan fiction writing thingy and really to writing in general, so you'll have to bear with me. Hopefully only another (story) chapter or two until we can get to the new characters. As to who they are, I will only say this much: some characters are based on other characters loosely, some more directly. I have tried to create some unique personalities however, even if I took some characteristics from other TV/Book/Movie characters. I won't tell who is who, however, you'll just have to guess :)

apAidan - Karkaroff's decisions and fate will be noted at some point, don't worry. As to the soundtrack, I just feel I have to force you all to know what runs through my head. The fact that you're here means you find it at least slightly interesting, and I thank you for that. I've got the soundtrack on Spotify, I may share the playlist at some point, if there is interest :)

Dan - Well that's what I meant I swear. As to the OC issue, Mary sues et cetera, I will say this: I worked to create a sort of rule set when putting this story together in my head, a different mythos if you will. I am making it a point to stick to that mythos both by using the writing to help readers understand the decisions I am making, and working to ensure any characters I add are fully fleshed out and balanced. I hope to avoid the Mary Sue issue, but if you do come back, and see me slipping, please feel free to point it out. Worst that can happen is I have to scramble to correct it, and become a better writer as a result.

GuessWho - See, this is why I can't have nice things.

Till next time!


	6. Announcements and Meetings

Chapter 5 - Northbound arrivals, new friends.

The morning of september first was a sort of calming normality for the Weasleys, which to Harry was a kind of catharsis, as he often craved the normalcy that family can bring. Unfortunately, the normalcy of the Weasleys included rushed breakfasts, scrambled last minute packing, at least two return trips to retrieve forgotten items, and at least one sibling having to take a running jump onto a moving train to ensure everyone arrives on time. Harry couldn't help but smile as he held out his hand to help pull George onto the train, though. He knew that the Weasleys always told him they thought of him a member of the family, but it was really in these little moments when he truly _felt_ like he was a part of their family. Hermione gave him a look seeing his grin, only to receive a shrug in return, causing her to roll her eyes and head down the hallway looking for an open compartment.

Harry followed, looking through the compartments and greeting a few fellow students along the way. He stopped for a couple of minutes to greet Ginny and her friends, a couple of third year griffindors, a hufflepuff and a small blonde Ravenclaw who seemed to be focused on something outside the compartment, or possibly outside of their current plane of existence, Harry couldn't be sure. As he heard Hermione call from down the car, having found a compartment, he turned back in to find the little blonde suddenly much closer to him than she was before, while the others seemed to have become absorbed in something completely different. Harry blinked as the blonde looked up at him while tilting her head to one side, studying him carefully. For a moment, Harry felt like he might have been been suffering from some sort of wardrobe malfunction from the level of scrutiny he was under, but then, whatever he felt passed as she smiled up at him and in a rather cheerful voice, said simply "She was right, there is something different about you since you were last here. Its a good different though."

For a moment Harry was confused as to who she was referring to... unless... she couldn't know about the dream could she? "How... how did you-"

"Elementary, my dear Harry," she interrupted with an even brighter smile. "The neddling narlinders observed, and relayed her half of the dream via parcel post. They do that often, you know, see peoples dreams. They don't do it on purpose though, it just happens sometimes."

Harry, of course, had to take a moment to think of a response, however before he could formulate another complete thought, he was interrupted by Ron, tugging his arm and working to pull him back to their compartment. When he turned back to speak to the girl again, he found her sitting back at her bench with newspaper in hand, as if she never even looked up from it in the first place. Shaking his head at the odd coincidence, he followed Ron back to the new compartment with his trunk, but not before making a mental note to himself to speak to the Ravenclaw again in the future.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

Harry Potter was getting a headache.

Being back in the Gryffindor common room for the first time since getting back was a rather small consolation for the boy-who-lived, as he sat in one of the plush armchairs facing the fireplace massaging his temples in an attempt to either banish the headache or possibly remove the memory of the evening's after dinner announcements from his mind. Most likely both. He felt rather than heard the settling of a body on the arm of the chair. He knew it was Hermione when he felt the fingers rubbing the back of his neck, and he felt a bit of the tension recede, more from her presence than her actions, he admitted to himself. Not out loud, of course, never out loud.

"Harry, I don't know, maybe Ron's right for once, maybe things won't be as bad as they could be this year." she said, though her tone obviously implied significant levels of false hope, and no small amount of denial as well. Harry couldn't help but snort.

"Sorry, Hermione, I think we are pretty much at a disadvantage here. No matter what way you want to look at it, I think things are going to go to hell in a hand basket sometime around Halloween... as usual" Harry replied thinking back to the announcements earlier that evening.

_The rest of the train ride had been relatively delightful. Even the obligatory visit from the Malfoy progeny was largely ignored. The trip to the castle was quiet. The food was delicious, and the quantities were enough even for Ron's appetite to be nearly satiated before Dumbledore stood and gestured for silence. The good feeling of the evening continued through the early announcements, until a rather dismal comment from the esteemed headmaster peaked his attention._

_"- and now it is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that all Hogwarts Quidditch games for the year have been cancelled-"_

_Any further comments Albus may have wanted to make were unfortuantely drowned out by a massive call for re-consideration, interspersed between various calls for his removal from post, exile from the country and what he was pretty sure was a rather rude request involving his wand and his posterior. After a moment or two, Albus waved his wand causing a loud crack to rend the air, immediately quelling the rapidly growing student revolt._

_"As I was saying, the games have been cancelled, because our school has an opportunity to participate in a once in a lifetime, international event. For the first time in over two centuries, we are going to play hosts to two other schools of magic, and we will be able to watch as champions from all schools participate in dangerous tasks, proving their skill and mettle, all for the glory and recognition received as winners of... the Tri-wizard tournament!"_

_The mysticisim and glory that the headmaster portrayed, both by his descriptions and his tone left the students in awe. Most of them anyway. the whispers and hushed conversation of the students was timed by a staccatto thumping, which would Hermione quickly noticed was coming from the young raven-haired man sitting across from him as he repeatedly hit his head against the table._

_"Harry, what is it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, trying to catch his eye as he came back up. Harry looked up, a flash of a grin across his face._

_"Just getting a head start, Hermione, I think I know where this is going."_

_the response confused the young witch, but as she opened her mouth to reply, Dumbledore spoke up again._

_"Yes students, in only a few weeks time, we will be joined by students from two schools from around the globe, and from each school a Champion will be chosen. That Champion will defy impossible odds and face great dangers and challenges. Do not me mistaken, these challenges are very real, very taxing, and very dangerous. Upon mastering these tasks, you will receive the praise and adulation of your peers as a true master of the arts of magic. However, only one winner can walk away with the true eternal glory of..."_

_And with a flourish, Dumbledore procured the glowing cup from behind the dais, receiving the requisite number of oohs and aahs that come from such a dramatic reveal._

_"... the TriWizard cup!"_

_Of course, there were various other announcements about other schools or some such, but by that time, Harry was rather distracted running through the many ways that this tournament could end in disaster, and made a mental note to himself to ask Hermione which end result would be more statistically likely._

Harry was startled out of his little daydream by Hermione leaning into his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay, we have plenty of time now, and since we sort of know what is coming, we can start preparing early, rather than have to run into things like we usually end up doing."

Harry gave a little smile to that. "True. Well, do we know anything else about the tournament right now?"

Hermione made a face, one she often did when she attempted to search her rather vast knowledge for an obscure fact and came up dry. "Honestly, though I've seen it mentioned in books, and its mentioned at least three times in Hogwarts, A History, I really don't know much about the tournament itself. We'll have to hit the library early tomorrow to see if we can find something about it."

"But won't we be competing with every other student in Hogwarts to find this information? How can we get the book if everyone wants it."

To this Hermione gave Harry a sly look, and replied "Oh, I have my ways, Harry. I have my ways. But that's for tomorrow anyway. For now, lets just focus on getting a good nights sleep." And with that, she patted him on the shoulder, got up from the fire, and sauntered over to the girls dorms. Harry followed her with his eyes, noting the fact that she did look rather attractive from that angle... then promptly buried that thought somewhere far away.

Turning his attention instead to the document in his hand, a apparent review list of all the review information from last years arithmancy class. A quick review of all the information he would need to know tomorrow afternoon for his brief entrance exam to the fourth year class. His carefully worded letter to Professors McGonagal and Vector had apparently made some sort of impression (though he guessed that it wouldnt take much to interest McGonagal in transferring someone to another class as long as it was away from Divination). As a result, he was slated to take a brief verbal exam to see if his skills were enough to get him into the fourth year aarithmancy class. To be honest, reviewing the information, he did feel a little nervous. Though he at least recognized all of the information listed on the paper, as he had been almost entirely self-studied (aside from passing a few brief questions to Hermione) he wasnt entirely certain his grasp on the material was completely correct. However, he was surprised to learn that, at least to some extent, arithmancy came relatively easy to him. The grade school education that he received in mathematics from the local school in Surrey was surprisingly more than enough to prepare him for the calculations required in the introductory class, and once Hermone provided the idea to remove many of the strange runic symbols common to the formulae, and repalce them with simple arithmetic symbols to assist in breaking down problems, he was actually able to complete most of the calculations in the book provided him. Granted, he tended to calculate slowly, and in some cases some of the formulas near the end of the book were painstakingly complicated (one rather long formula for a basic anti-portkey ward took him several days to break down into components, and ended up with as many pages in the rubbish bin as there were in the formula itself.) but he was able to work through nearly the entire book before the summer was over. Hopefully that would be enough to at least get him through the door and into the class, but if not, maybe he would be able to work something out with the professor.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he got up from his chair and proceeded up the stairwell to the fourth year dorms to grab the arithmancy book to look over again. Reaching the dorm, he found Neville and Shaemus already unpacking their trunks and talking. Dean, came out of the showers and hollered a greeting towards Harry, who returned it with enthusiasm. He spent a few minutes greeting and reminicing with his dorm mates, then dug the Arithmancy book out of his trunk and began to review for the next day. He had been looking over a rather difficult chapter on reflecting runic power back into a spell from a battery when he heard Ron set down on the bed next to his. Looking up and seeing that he had been reading for a good two hours already, and he had what he hoped was a pretty decent grasp on the material, he decided enough was enough for the evening, and spent the remaining time till lights out chatting with his first real friend.

As he relaxed with his friends that evening, he felt a familiar sense of contentment seep into his bones. This was where he should be, here, with friends, enjoying the time they had together. Hogwarts was where he felt most at peace, at home, since really, for him, this was the closest thing he had to home. as his mind drifted slowly to sleep, his mind couldn't help but wander back to the promise he made weeks ago, and he knew, then and there, that these people, this place, was a part of the family that he has sworn to protect. He reaffirmed in his mind the promise he made, as he did nearly every night now, and for a moment he thought he could feel the very castle around him respond. The feeling, however, was quickly dismissed as his mind finally settled into sleep, his dreams peaceful and simple, the night continuing to turn.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

A few timezones behind, a meeting of a different kind was taking place. The conference room was cosy and well lit, with a beautiful view of a city skyline and a beachfront at sunset. One lone figure stood looking out at this scene, while the other attendees sat comfortably chatting quietly to one another. After a few moments the meeting leader cleared her throat for attention, and all eyes turned and conversation ended. The young woman, headmistress Tamara Sine, turned and regarded the other people in the room for a moment, meeting each persons eyes momentarily before beginning.

"Thank you all for coming, I know this is your first day back for you students and considering the circumstances, I want to make this as short as possible, but I wanted to make sure everyone here was prepared for our trip to England in a few weeks. You five especially," she said nodding to the assembled students at the end of the table, " are going to be representing both our country and our school, regardless of anything else. I know you all have read through the documentation Rene provided you all regarding proper conduct during our stay correct?" Seeing affirmative nods from each of the students (and a few from the staff members who were instructed to review the same documentation, purely as a refresher, not because of a certain incident regarding the french embassy in Jordan) she continued "Excellent. I do not need to remind you, of course, that this tournament is in fact quite dangerous, and whichever of you five is selected by the goblet, you will need to take extra care and be sure that everyone stays safe. Our first priority is that everyone makes it through this tournament alive, and even if we are unable to win, there are still alternate paths we can take. Now does anyone have any questions about the tournament itself?"

A young woman with long straight hair such a dark violet as to almost appear black, was the first to ask a question. As she toyed with a game of cats cradle between her fingers using nearly invisible thread, she asked "Outside of preparations for the tournament, are we to be looking for targets?"

One of the faculty members answered from the other end of the table "Not directly Miss Jones. As always, you should be observant for anyone who could negatively effect our plans and watch for any persons of interest, but you are not to aggressively act without first discussing it with a staff member at the very least, preferably a member of the coven."

The headmistress nodded. "Correct professor Turner. However, I will note that we as a team chose the five of you specifically because we trust and believe in your abilities and judgement. If you feel that you are in a situation that you need to act, and cannot reach one of us before it becomes moot, you may use your best judgement. Always remember, keep yourselves and each other safe first."

"But what about makin' friends? Can't we do that?" That question came from the youngest member of the team, a little girl with mousy brown hair and a Creole lilt as she played with a pen on the conference table from her perch on the lap of a boy who could only be her brother, who used his left hand to take the pen from the little girl while massaging his temples with his right hand. A few snickers could be heard around the room, while the headmistress just smiled before replying.

"Of course you can little one. That's one of the reasons we're going. We want to make as many friends as possible. But not everybody is as opened minded as we all are here. Some people wouldn't like us because we do things differently. So we have to be careful what friends we make. Speaking of, Lady Rae?" she said, gesturing to a proper looking woman who stood and nodded briefly at the headmistress. When she spoke, her voice commanded attention and respect, and all the others, despite themselves, couldn't help but sit up a little straighter as she spoke.

"Thank you headmistress. We have assembled a dossier of the key faculty and students of both schools, as well as information about the schools themselves." She enlisted the younger girl to help her pass out copies of a document to the rest of the people in the room as she continued. "Note that this is of course incomplete, but we hope at the very least it should give you a starting point for information about the people you will be spending the year with. Remember that our primary goal is to make connections with these people, not simply attend to the tournament. The earlier you start on this, the easier it will be."

A young man with thick glasses was the next to speak up, tapping his gloved hands against the table. "have we come to a decision regarding the exchange of information between respective parties?"

A younger faculty member leaning her chair against the back wall fielded that question "We decided full disclosure would be a bit much, sugar. We were willin' to say that we can share anything we've found related to any classes you happen to be goin' to, and of course any of the classes you'll be teachin' you can share whatever ya need to.. After that, its a case by case basis." The student seemed a bit disheartened by this information, but nodded nonetheless.

"What about allowances for some of our more... interesting practices? Did you get confirmation that there wouldn't be any trouble if we need to perform rituals that are typically banned in Europe?" came from a third student, this one in dark glasses with his elbows resting on the table.

The headmistress narrowed her eyes at this question. "The headmaster has been rather... circumspect regarding that issue. We have been assured that any required rituals will not be stopped, nor penalized, and that we will have space away from the rest of the students to perform any academically oriented testing, however there are certain restrictions. From the time we arrive until further notice, there are to be no blood rituals done within view of Hogwarts or Beaubatons students. We will have a space set aside on the transport for those rituals. Other rituals are allowed, but it is recommended, at least in the early weeks, that we perform these rituals in private. I think the headmaster is concerned people would use our apparent strangeness against us." She sighed, again turning out towards the window. "I want to emphasize the fact that we are going in part to encourage open thinking, to push the need to see magic differently, however if we want to do this, we will have to use a gentle hand. If you feel that anyone from either school is open to a new point of view, please feel free to bring them to the attention of our staff, and we will let you know if it is safe to show them more. I believe more than a few will be willing to accept this, even from the beginning, but in order to ensure we do not cause more harm than good, we will need to tread lightly. Any other questions at this point?" At the silence in the room she turned back to the assembled students and staff. "Then that is all we shall need for this evening. Please return to your dormitory. Have a good evening, and may the queen shine her countenance on all of us."

The staff and students slowly filed out and went towards their dormitories for the evening, ready to prepare for the start of the new school year. The headmistress looked out at the darkening skyline, and spoke out loud in the stillness "you want the real answer to your question, mister Wallace?"

The young man stepped out from the shadows with a grin on his face. "You know me too well, headmistress. Your answer satisfied most of them, but it isn't complete is it?"

The headmistress turned to face the young man. She had watched this student grow over the last several years from a child into a young man, and wasn't surprised that he noticed she left a portion of his question unanswered, such was his powers of observation. "Unfortunately, any time I attempted to direct our conversation towards the possibility of mister Riddle's interference in the tournament or suggest taking any proactive steps, he never took the bait. He attempted more than once to weasel information out of me as well. Sadly, I think he will be more of a hindrance to our plans than a asset, at least for the time being. You were correct about that much, at least." she said. The young man grinned ruefully at her statement.

"I am, if nothing else, a realist, headmistress. I had hoped Dex's research was incorrect, but we had to assume the worst. At least he has been accommodating for some of us, I know I at least would have been hard pressed to go so long without a cleansing."

The headmistress placed a hand on her student's shoulder "Damien, I want you to know, just as I have told all the other members of the team, that my sisters and I are eternally grateful for what you have done, and what you are doing, for us. For everyone. And I know we ask so much of you all - "

"Miss Sine, without you, and without this school, none of us would be able to do the things we are able to. I know at the very least I would not be alive if it wasn't for you and your sisters. It is the least I can do to follow you with this. every one of us has said we would follow you to the end."

"And we thank you for it, even if no one else does." She said, squeezing the shoulder then leading him out of the conference room and toward the elevators.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

Chapter gone, unfortunately a filler chapter, and not a very good one, but its enough for me to feel like I can proceed with the story. As to the delay between the last chapter and this one I can only blame real life. The next one should, I hope, be better. To all the readers, thanks for listening. For those who feel like reviewing, thanks even more!


	7. Excerpts 3

Chapter 6: Interlude 3

Insert Standard disclaimer here. Note that this is another interludes chapter. Information, information, information...

_... thus to be able to understand a warding schema enough to circumvent it, you need to have to have two of three distinct pieces of knowledge. The first is knowledge of the runic structure of the ward anchor or anchors, and by extension its anchor base. These are typically encased in ward stones or similar totems, and are, as a rule, stationary. these are, most often, the easiest to understand and decode, as the runic structures of a ward anchor are finite and well understood. They are also most often used as a focus point for a key system, such as a warded runic door. They are also the most vulnerable, as a ward without an anchor will invariably collapse upon itself._

_The second piece to a warding schema is the arithmetic formulae of the wards themselves. This is more often the meat of any curse breakers task, as, with enough effort, any arithmetic schema can eventually be detected. When a ward's creator weaves a ward, they have several different choices in front of them. They can simply take the arithmetic formula of each specific warding they desire and layer them upon each other, creating a thick entity that needs to be uncovered and countered piece by piece before a ward can be completely circumvented. The caster can also choose to weave the wards together, creating a mesh that has to be understood as a whole. However, just like melding metals in a forge, if done improperly, can create a flawed product, an improperly meshed warding schema will contain flaws as well. care must be taken in both the construction and collapse of wards such as these, for any flaw in a ward can quickly become a gaping hole, and a mis-handled flaw can turn a part of curse breakers into a pile of entrails if improperly exploited._

_The third, and least understood, piece to the puzzle is the casters will. Though in typical spell casting, the will or intent of the caster will drive the power of a spell cast, warding is more difficult to pinpoint, as the caster is simply not present to implement that will. as a result, magical intent is handled differently in a ward scheme. First, when a caster creates a ward stone, or charges it, they push their magical power into it, enforcing their will upon the stone itself. The runic structure of these stones is designed to not only store this information, but to resist it as well, providing an opposing force for the intent. In this, advanced runic structures are very dangerous, as losing a battle of wills against a rock, aside from being completely embarrassing, can have dangerous magical consequences. Many warders who attempted to use an unknown wardstone, or used a stone that they were incapable of controlling have ended up implementing their minds or souls to the very wards they have tried to create. The practical result of this implementation means that the casters will is exerted anytime the wards are active. Therefore, in order to actively counter the ward you are attempting to bypass, you, or you and your team, would have to have a combined strength of will greater than that of the wards creator or creators. This is why the wards of Hogwarts have stood over the last four hundred years in their current form; as each Headmaster commands and wills the wards, they also add their wills to the capstone that holds the wards. With each subsequent generation, the stone grows in power, even as the will of past headmasters fades into time..._

- On the understanding of wards, and field curse breaking.

Submitted by Bill Weasley to Gringotts certification board.

Candidate was subsequently approved and promoted through

apprenticeship into journeyman status.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

_Headmaster Dumbledore_

_c/o Hogwarts School of WitchCraft and Wizardry_

_Greetings headmaster,_

_I wanted to confirm with you that we are able to accommodate your request, however we do wish to stress the potential danger involved with your request, even with the dragons being restrained with the warded chains. I want to remind you that those chains do restrict the violent tendencies of most dragons, however nesting mothers are entirely unpredictable, and more than one time we have had to treat injuries as a result of our handles being under-prepared for the consequences of an enraged dragon. I wish to extend-again- an offer for our best warders to come and set up proper protections for the venue you have designed in order to reduce the risk of further injuries. I am aware of the rather complex warding schema of Hogwarts, but please be assured that our warding team is more than capable of extending a ward properly within any construct you would be able to provide us. I also wish to stress that, considering the circumstances, that we would be willing to offer this service without compensation, as to us most important thing is the safety of your students, the champions, and our dragons._

_Under any circumstances, I will need to visit the school in person in the coming weeks to help prepare the site for the transport and storage of the dragons. We can discuss this further, and I can answer any other questions you have then._

_I look forward to your reply._

_Sincerely,_

_Dax Gibson_

_Chief Handler_

_Raux Dragon Reserve_

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

_...upon reviewing Mr. Potters' answers to the written portion of the exam, I found a rather interesting dichotomy. His work was most often correct, however in breaking down many of the arithmetic calculations, his work was overly complicated. He took the time to break down every construct into its composite parts in order to resolve the variables. he often duplicated work between similar class problems, further complicating his answers, though ensuring what was most often an extremely complete (and correct, he averaged 95% accuracy in his calculations) answer. However, the amount of effort and energy he expended was extreme, and I could tell that he was rather frustrated to only finish half the problems by the time I collected his work. After giving him a few minutes to collect himself while I reviewed the exam, I took some time to converse with him and gather both his general knowledge and his reasoning for wanting to join my class. From this I have made a few conclusions. First, Mr. Potter has not received any formal instruction, or really even informal instruction in regards to arithmancy and calculations. Most of his knowledge has come from reading our current reference, and a small amount of instruction from his friend Miss Granger. This lack of instruction forced him to reason through many of the easier concepts in significantly more difficult ways. In addition, his inability to use magic during his studies meant that he was never able to do an accurate live calculation, making some critical constructs almost impossible for him to have understood._

_However, his ability to break down advanced arithmatic structures is well ahead of par for his age group. In fact, when asking him how far he had been able to work through the reference work, he noted that he had been able to perform calculations through around eighty percent of the book, which is a feat considering that this reference is used over all five years of arithmancy. As a test, I asked him to discuss the breakdown of one of the later formulas while we worked over it on the board. He chose specifically the structure of the moderate construct of the protego spell, which is currently on my sixth year curriculum. Logically, he was able to work through the calculations understanding the effective values of the calculations themselves, however he was unable to logically recognize the components of the formula for what they were. He would require some assistance in class to help bring him up to speed with certain contexts we use regularly._

_At the conclusion, I told Mr. Potter that I would be willing to recommend him for the class on the grounds that he receive additional tutoring in the subject from another student. I recommended Miss Granger, as she had already assisted him, and he rather eagerly agreed to ask her. As long as he is able to maintain solid performance in the class, I believe he can join his year mates starting immediately..._

-Personal notes from Septima Vector

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

_...Though I feel you may be exaggerating your concerns in regards to this issue, I do commend your prudence and enthusiasm for expanding your horizons, so in this case I would be willing to assist you. As the Hogwarts Library is rather renown for its selection, I have included a selected list of advanced reading materials that will give you at least a broad introduction to various forms of advanced methods of magic. In addition, I have included several periodicals in this package that are hidden (you should know by now exactly how to find them) that will give you some insight into the more recent and controversial theories on magic as you requested. I would like to note however, that I have hidden these for a reason. Unfortunately, most of these periodicals are actually banned for sale by the ministry, and though they are not technically illegal to own, reading them in public would not be advisable, since anyone who is aware of exactly what these periodicals are would be able to warn the ministry that you are reading 'sensitive material,' and I am quite sure you do not want any further scrutiny on yourself than you haven't already garnered. Do not fear about breaking school rules by reading them, though. Albus has often encouraged those of us who were able to obtain them to read them in private, and in fact has contributed to several of these periodicals in the past._

_For now, these should be enough to satiate your curiosity I assume, so I will leave you to it. Always feel free to ask me questions if you do have any. Don't pass over any opportunities to learn from your fellow classmates as well. I believe your classmate Miss Granger would be a fountain of knowledge about many of these subjects. In fact, I highly recommend you spend as much time learning from her (or about her) as you are able. That, too, will come in handy, I believe..._

- Letter from Remus Lupin to Harry Potter, dated 18th Sept.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

_POI ID# 2533_

_Spectrum Classification: 4_

_Name: Albus Percival Wolfrick Brian Dumbledore_

_Occupation:_

_Headmaster - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Supreme Mugwump - ICW_

_Chief Warlock - British Wizengamot_

_Threat Analysis: Though advanced in age for standard wizard classified humanoids, POI is still extremely powerful, and his knowledge is legendary the world over. Responsible for the defeat and subsequent incarceration of POI #2538, and a primary force in resistance against POI #3111(^HJ_

_{Corrupted}_

_OU237*&(^ave to take care to isolate targets in POI's care, and not strike exclusively against them unless POI has been neutralized. POI's influence is too strong at this time to risk exposing our directives, recommend secrecy unless directive requires otherwise._

- Partial report from data re-assembly from intelligence team [REDACTED]

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

A/N: Another chapter gone. new method of writing seems to help maintain a regular stream of content for this and my other story. Really, I have so much of this planned out, its just finding time to put my thoughts on paper that has been an issue. A solid recommendation for people who have issues finding time and place to write, get yourself a small tablet and a bluetooth keyboard. smaller than a laptop, but still easy to use in tight spaces.

Review responses:

Merlin2.0, Merlin2.0, et cetera. - Thank you for your reviews! I'm trying to work on keeping this story moving along while trying to fit in all the information I need to, and I'm glad you are able to pick up on the stuff I'm hinting at, means I don't suck at writing as much as I had assumed.

Everyone else: thanks for listening! Like it, or don't like it? let me know, if you feel like it! Coming up next, Chapter 7: The Castle has a Sense of Humor it seems/The Arrivals.


	8. The Castle has a Sense of Humor

Chapter 7: The castle has a sense of humor

or

The new arrivals

Standard disclaimers apply, do not operate heavy machinery while driving this unit.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

/Prodigy Trilogy v1 soundtrack - Cinderella Man - Eminem/

It was early. Really bloody early. However it was getting easier now for Harry to arise, just a bit before sunrise, to get ready for his new morning routine. Quietly opening his curtains, he snuck out, putting on some of the best fitting lounging clothes he could find (which had been cleaned up and repaired magically, as well as shrunk and adjusted to ensure that everything would fit as well as could be expected for hand me downs) and set out to the common room for his trek. After some simple stretching, he set out from Gryffindor tower at a brisk jog, through the halls of Hogwarts for a morning run. Rounding a corner, the teenager started up the stairs in the main stairwell, which started to twist and turn as he climbed, guiding him around to the sixth floor, a corridor he had yet to go through. Despite the climb, Harry had a smile on his face. It seems the castle wanted to try someting new.

Finishing the climb, he rounded a corner to find, as expected, that the suits of armor in the first hallway had been moved into a rather complex pattern, weapons extended in strikes or blocks, each one still as stone, with the exception of the heads, all of whom seemed to be turned to regard him as he rounded the corner. Harry blinked, then shrugging, started forward, dodging and shifting through the suits of armor in the narrow corridor, diving and rolling, slipping past an axe blade here, jumping over a fallen suit there as he proceeded through the halls of the castle at a run. It wasn't long before he was winded, sweating and starting to ache, thanks to the impromptu obstacle course the castle had set in front of him, but he was determined to push through everything the castle would set in front of him. Each time he would round a corner or step into a new hallway, a new set of obstacles would be placed in his path. Harry found himself forced to dodge and duck more and more as the obstacles became denser. Harry leaped over a barrier of stone onto his knees, chest heaving and sweat falling into his eyes. He couldn't stay still for long though, he found that his course-master tended to do things to keep him moving (one only needs to be swatted on the behind by a suit of armor once to know that much) so he picked himself up and pushed forward down the corridor and down the stairs to the fifth floor. There, he found that the suits of armor have thinned out a bit and he picked up the pace a bit as a result, but kept his eye out for any new surprises.

When he first arrived at the castle, he had taken to running outside by the lake, however after a few days, between the rainy Scottish weather and a surprising insistence by the castle itself, he had instead taken to traversing some of the outside hallways of the castle itself to keep fit. After a couple days of simply running around the castle, he found that the suits of armor had started to trip him up. At first he blamed his own clumsy nature, but after the third trip to the floor, he began to suspect foul play. The next day, after doing some checking, he went on a run with the Marauders map in hand. after falling the first time, he sat down and immediately checked the map, looking for Fred and George, but found them sleeping in their beds. While hunting on the map for another possible culprit, he instead felt something poking him in the back. Looking up, he found the suit of armor standing over him, arms folded and actually glaring at him (if empty helmets could glare). Harry quickly realized thereafter that the castle itself appeared to be interested in his exploits in the castle, at least when he was on his own-GAHDOOR!

Harry twisted around throwing his body to the side, just missing the suddenly opened door in his path, but unfortunately lost his footing, tripping over his own feet and tumbling head over heels and landing in a heap, upside down, against the wall across the corridor. With a groan he looked down/up, to find himself staring at a pair of bare feet sticking out from a robe that was just a bit too short. Following up the robe, he found those feet were attached the rest of Luna Lovegood, who was currently attempting to turn her head completely upside down while remaining standing, and looking at him with a curious expression.

"Oh, hello Harry Potter. I didn't know that there were any rollicking Flintwillers in the castle."

"rollicking... Flintwillers?" Harry asked, still upside down and blinking at the curious girl.

"absolutely. I'm glad you understand that the easiest way to prevent them from biting your toes is to stand on your head. They appear to dislike dandruff, though I am still unsure why."

"...oh. Well that's good then." Harry still found himself unable to reply, and apparently unable to muster up the strength to right himself at this point. A moment passed in what may or may not have been an awkward silence before Harry felt he had to say something. "so... you want to join me then?" he asked lamely, unable to find much else to say. Apparently, this was not the most right thing to say, as Luna turned away with a blush in her cheeks.

"I would, Harry, however I may be a bit... under-dressed for the occasion. The laundering lampreys have made off with most of my clothes, so I'm afraid that I would show a bit more than I am comfortable with if I were to join you."

Harry struggled to right himself, complaining muscles be damned, and frowned as he responded "so... you are completely out of clothes then?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course, some of them show up from time to time, so Im not usually without for long. The same thing happened last year, but my classmates seemed to find most of them before the year was out."

Harry, not being completely clueless, read between the lines and his frown deepened. He knew from personal experience that bullies could do some rather cruel things, having suffered from many of them himself. He also knew that you weren't always ready to talk about such treatment to others, especially to relative strangers. She must really see something him him, he thought, to be willing to share that, even as circumspect as the comment had been. He asked her if she would want any help, which she politely declined, not wanting to be any trouble.

"But its no trouble at all, Luna" he replied. "that's what friends are for"

At this, Luna smiled brightly "You're right, of course. It would be very nice to have a friend like that." She then spent the next few minutes talking with Harry about nothing in particular, Harry finding that the more time you spent listening to Luna, the easier it was to understand what she was saying. She often drifted between topics without preamble, picking up discarded bits of conversation and making observations completely unrelated to the immediate topic at hand, but not entirely irrelevant. After a rather interesting bit of conversation on the applications of wards to moving objects, Luna shifted the conversation back to its origin.

"You know Harry, one finds often enough that people who think they are good friends do not always end up being good friends. That doesn't seem to be the case with you. I do hope I can have a friend like you someday."

Harry looked towards her for a moment, and nodding to himself, said to her "Well, I can tell you that you have a friend, a real friend, sitting with you now, Luna. Matter of fact, do you want to sit with us at breakfast this morning?"

Luna could only smile a bit looking sideways at him, and Harry felt for a moment that he had a kindred spirit seated with him. "I would like that, Harry. But first, you have to finish your run, the castle would be very upset with you if you simply wasted all your time talking to me. I should go see what things I can scrounge together to wear for school today." With that, she stood and held out a hand to help up her new friend. Harry gratefully accepted her assistance, saying "its good to know that someone else thinks of the castle as a person now. Makes me feel a bit less crazy."

Luna frowned at him for a moment then said in a sad voice "oh Harry, thinking that the castle is the embodiment of a person is, quite frankly, rather insane." And with that, she turned and skipped back down the hallway, presumably to the Ravenclaw dormitory. Before she rounded the corner however, she turned back to the stunned Harry and said to him with a mischievous smile. "It's actually the embodiment of three different people."

Harry could only stand there staring after her for a moment before turning his eyes to the rafters and stating "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Of course, the only response he received was silence, though he could swear he heard the faint tinkling of a chandelier somewhere off in the distance. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he turned and proceeded down the corridor and back to his dormitory to prepare for the day.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

The day had gone surprisingly well, considering that it was a Potions day. Luna, after introductions and a slight bit of uneasiness, seemed to fit relatively well at their table, spending time chatting with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville, who had been spending more and more time with them as well as the school days went by. Harry could admit to himself that he was initially concerned with the possible clash of personalities that would happen between his new blond friend and his best friend, however he was surprised to find that he didn't really need to worry about that. After some initial awkwardness, it appears that the two of them actually had a surprising amount in common, though they expressed themselves in rather different ways. With an invitation to continue attending meals whenever she wished, the group all headed off to their respective classes.

Potions was fairly typical class on that morning, with Snape being his usual terrible self, Ron constantly over-reacting to his barbs, Neville cowering anytime the teacher approached, and Hermione studiously ignoring all of this to focus on their potion. Harry had realized quickly upon really observing the reactions of people in the classroom that Ron's behavior had actually been a detriment to his personal studies, so he had decided after a week to switch with Neville, who graciously agreed, saying to Harry in private that he might be able to work better in the class with 'someone who hated Snape even more' standing next to him. Since that time, his time in the Potion Master's class had be much better. He had been able to better contribute to the potions he was making, and even found himself improving his skills significantly, Hermione and himself playing off of each others strengths and observations. He had found that whispering in class would draw the ire of Snape, regardless of the content of the discussion, so he had taken to keeping a scrap of parchment between them, where they would instead write notes to each other with observations, questions and such.

On this particular potion, Harry was the preparer, chopping and dicing the ingredients, while Hermione was managing the cauldron. As he sat and carefully sliced up the root of some particularly greasy flower, he noticed something peculiar in the instructions Snape presented. Two steps ahead, they were instructed to add 3 grams of dillweed, followed immediately thereafter by a sprig of creeping vine. However, Harry knew something just... couldn't be right with those ingredients. He frowned harder for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up, and he quickly scribbled something on the parchment and nudged Hermione to view it.

* S. 7 - 8, bad!

Hermione looked at the scrawl, her eyes darting between the two parchments, and she frowned, stirring carefully with her hand while reading over the instructions. Once done, she took her quill and responded

# ?

* dillweed saps vine, kills whole potion.

Hermione's eyes widened. She looked to him quickly, eyes wide and asking the unspoken question, to which Harry shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Hermione quickly pointed to the next step, and the two of them switched places, Harry turning down the temperature and stirring for her while she frantically looked up a counter to the issue. While stirring, he felt a nudge at his shoulder and carefully looked to where she was pointing in her book, the paper on top with a new line:

# +2 co-stirs, +1 fresh forinta mint

Harry noticed quickly that mint wasn't on the list, so he nodded quickly to Hermione who scrambled towards the ingredients cabinet as discreetly as possible while Harry took the dillweed and slowly added it. The timing had to be right to mix the extra ingredient, lest the whole thing go awry, he picked up the vine leaf and held it over the cauldron, watching carefully for the color change that indicated the last possible second he could add the ingredient, and hoped that Hermione could make it back in time just as he was about to give it up and drop in the leaf, he saw the sparkling turquoise of the forinta leaf drift down into the cauldron, and with a sigh, he added the vineleaf to the saved potion. To their collective relief, not only did the potion end up the proper color and consistency, but the potion ended up having a distinctly sweeter aroma than the ones around their table. At the end of class, they bottled the potion and Harry brought it up to the professor, who looked at the potion with a rather sour glance. When he inhaled the scent however, he paused. It was only for a moment, then the sour man spoke quietly to him with a rather sour expression "Mister Potter, you did not follow instructions."

Harry blinked. "but-"

"See me after class, Mister Potter. Ensure Miss Granger is with you."

Harry felt it better not to make a scene, since apparently the professor wasn't interested in making one either, so he returned to his desk with a whispered word to Hermione and awaited his fate. After the bell had sounded and the other students had cleared out of the classroom, Harry and Hermione stood at the end of the professors desk, while he sat in his chair, hands folded in front of his face. He looked at the two students for a moment, then simply asked "how?"

Hermione was the first to respond, rather indignantly "Sir, your instructions were incorrect, you-"

Snape interrupted bringing Hermione up short "I did not ask for a critique on my curriculum, Miss Granger. I asked you how you knew to add the mint?"

Harry responded after a moment. "I noticed the flaw sir. 1001 magical herbs and fungi said the dillweed often saps the effectiveness of most plants without a proper counter to its acidity. Hermione checked the text, and noted the mint leaf was the best counter."

Snape looked at them carefully for a moment, then gave them the slightest of nods. "You were sloppy about it. Your last minute rush to obtain the ingredient nearly cost you the potion, or possibly your hands if you accidentally added the vine first. You should have used a neutralizer to delay the potion, even for a few moments, to allow yourself a moment to properly research the correct reactant." both students made to protest, but Snape lifted his hand to stop them. "That being said, you were the only students in the class to catch this... particular test. You are to be commended for that at least, regardless of your... improper reaction. Each of you will receive an E for this particular potion, and two points each to Griffyndor. I will be expecting significantly more from each of you from now on. Dismissed." And with that, he turned towards his desk and began working on grading the days essays. Both Harry and Hermione stood shocked for a moment, until the clearing of Snape's throat and a pointed look broke the moment, and they gathered their things to go. As they were leaving Snape stopped them.

"One more thing. I expect that you will practice some... discretion in this matter. If I find out that others have become aware of this... particular method of testing students, or of the rewards of completing the tests... you will find that the treatment you have received up to this point was nothing but a minor annoyance."

Both students left rather quickly after that..

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

Late afternoon found the entire school out on the wide grounds by the lake searching the skies for the incoming schools. The students were chatting amongst themselves, speculating on the new arrivals, and pretending to follow the staff's attempts to present their charges with some semblance of order. Eventually someone spotted something flying on the horizon and not a few moments later, the grounds were graced with what could only be described as a house on wheels, driven by half a dozen horses the likes of which would certainly not be found in any muggle parade. The door to the carriage opened, and out came the students of Beaubatons academy, all dressed in formal blue robes, and walking with a grace and dignity he found surprising on students. He was pleased that, for the most part, it wasn't the stiff gait and sour demeanour that seemed to be plastered on the faces of most pureblood supremacists, but instead it spoke of calm friendly refinement. As the final students exited the carriage, he found his eye drawn to the final three who emerged. His eye was first drawn to the extremely tall woman who he felt was most likely the headmistress of the school. He also assumed that she and Hagrid may have more in common than one would assume. However, what really drew his eye for a moment, and apparently the eyes of half the population of the school, was the young blond that was with the giantess. For a moment, he was in fact rather entranced by her beauty, and felt inexorably drawn to her. He wanted to do things for her, he wanted to prove... no, no that isn't right, he thought to himself, shaking his head. He felt out of sorts for a moment, as he collected himself, he found others reacting in a similar fashion around her, and Hermione looking rather perturbed. Suddenly, he recalled where he had felt this before. He nudged his friend beside him, and whispered to her "Veela. She's a Veela. That's why everyone is staring... and why Ron.." he said with a snicker ".. Ron is doing that." He said, pointing to the third member of the trio, and Hermione turned to find Ron nearly falling over himself trying to get a glimpse of the girl as she walked by. Hermione just shook her head at Ron's antics, and returned her attention to the skies, waiting for the next group of student to arrive.

The excitement of the new students arrival brought forth a sense of anticipation as everyone stood in waiting for the arrival of the second school. The did not have long to wait. Before seeing anything, they could hear the first arrival. It started as a slow rumble, which quickly built to a deep thrumming which confused many of the students, and frightened the Abraxans, as Hagrid struggled to keep them calm and controlled, quickly pulling out a flask from inside his coat pocket and giving them handfulls of the strong drink within. For a moment, no one was able to see anything, but it wasn't long before a younger student pointed at the horizon and called out "What in Merlin's name is that?"

/ Prodigy Trilogy V1 Soundtrack - Beastie Boys - Sabotage /

A large black... thing flew low over the top of the forest past the black lake, dipping low and rising high towards the open grounds. The sight of the flying oddity confused, and in some cases frightened , many of the magically raised students, but many of the muggleborns gasped upon seeing the flying contraption approach. It was Seamus Finnegan who called out nearby "bloody hell, that's a Yankee Blackhawk!" Indeed, the helicopter caused quite a stir as it approached the arrival site high in the air, centered itself over the field and started to descend.

Hermione shook her head, saying to Harry, "There's no way they can land that, nothing electrical or mechanical will work properly in the wards." As if on cue, the helicopter suddenly gave a visible lurch, the engine whirring as though straining. For a moment it appeared that the pilot was going to lose control, but instead he rose back up higher and stabilized. Once the helicopter stopped its ascent, Harry's keen eye noted several small blobs popping up along the sides of the aircraft, only to throw themselves off the side. almost immediately, to the awe of the crowd, a set of six parachutes opened and the figures drifted to the ground.

Almost immediately, the six figures sprung into action. three of the six immediately started running a perimeter around the field, sticking what appeared to Harry to be Iron rods in the ground at regular intervals. One took out some sort of device and began using it. From what Harry recalled from his time watching movies on the telly while cooking dinner for the Dursleys, he thought he had an idea of what it was, he leaned over to Hermione and asked "Is that a radiation detector?" but Hermione at this point was completely absorbed in the scene before her. The remaining two arrivals proceeded quickly towards the students and staff, one going directly to Dumbledore and speaking to him directly, the other calling out loud to the students in front "Back up! I need everyone to back up please!" The crowd complied, slowly stepping back a few dozen feet. "Alright, now on my signal, we will be activating a stabilization field. The initial activation will involve a lot of noise and a very bright light we assume. We ask that on our signal, you shield your eyes and please do not panic. Everything is under control. Thank you!"

While this woman was speaking, the other members of the team had completed their circuit around the perimeter, and had met in the center. Together the walked to the nearest edge of the circle, and the one with the equipment placed one last stake in the ground, and attached a box to the final one. The one that had spoken to the headmaster returned to the group and placed something in the box, and together the six of them stepped away from the circle. Hermione, always one to appreciate the academic, grabbed Harry's hand (both of them for a moment enjoying the sensation of holding hands, and wondering where that came from) and pulled them up to the front of the group. Apparently,the little speech the woman gave was enough to put a bit of fear in the rest of the students, for they found a spot up front rather easily, settling themselves among a good number of Ravenclaw muggleborns, and Luna of course, who was observing the scene rather like she was observing a cloud in the sky. As they approached the group, the voices of the mysterious team became discernible.

"-we find it to be within tolerance. Can we confirm that the foci are properly aligned?"

"Yes, each field point are accurate to within 4 inches, well within our estimated parameters. We are good to go."

"Alright, Dex, begin the warmup procedures, Captain Turner, go ahead and prepare the masses."

With that, the woman from before, who apparently was captain Turner, turned to the crowd and called out to everyone "Alright folks, we are about to begin our little light show. Please remain calm, and enjoy the fun. On my word, everyone be sure to shield your eyes. And... Begin!"

Dex hit a button on the box and backed away. The others on the team each put on dark goggles and looked to the device that was now starting to whirl, emitting a deep low growl. As the sound continued, the one that was called Dex was holding up his device and calling out to the team, louder and louder as he went on. "Synchronization to field at 45 percent... 55 percent... 65 percent... seventy percent, locking into intent patterns... all readings nominal."

The captain immediately turned towards the crowd, calling out "ALRIGHT EVERYONE! HERE COMES THE SHOW! BE SURE TO SHIELD YOUR EYES!" The hum coming from the device had turned into an all-out roar, the sound strong enough to actually shake the ground beneath the students feet, causing many of them to rise to a near panic.

"85 percent! Ninety! Ninety Five! Ready for synchronization release!" Release in Five, four, three, two..."

Then, with a mighty crack, which left a slight ringing in their ears, and a flash bright enough to shine even through Harry's covered eyes, it was all over. For a moment he stood there eyes covered, until he heard Dex's cheer split the silence.

"Yes! Field nominilization successful! We have an active intent block within normal bounds!" Harry opened his eyes to see five of the six celebrating together, while captain Turner took out a green flare and lit it, waving it to get the attention of the still hovering pilot of the helicopter, who began to descend... and successfully land gracefully on the edge of the field to everyone's amazement and applause. As the rotors on the machine slowed down, another speck had shown on the horizon, and two of the original team ran out to the center of the field, each holding a pair of lighted wands, and began waving them in complex pattern. The second helicopter, as shocking as the first one was, was an even bigger shock. This one, a dual propeller monstrosity, completely dwarfed the students as it landed, sending several pureblooded students tripping over themselves as they though a dragon was coming in for a landing. The second landing happened as smoothly as the first, and as the rotors spun down, a large door on the side of the aircraft opened, and the six members of the initial team ran up to greet the adults and children that filed out of the aircraft in a rough formation. Hearty greetings were made, then the group as a whole proceeded towards the students, stopping in front of the headmaster, and as a whole, placed their fists against their chests in salute while slightly bowing. The headmaster returned the bow, and gestured for them to proceed inside the castle, which they did, filing through the students.

Harry managed to catch a look at some of the students as they filed through the crowd into the castle, and was surprised by what he saw. First, it appeared that the students didn't really have a uniform of any sorts. Each student appeared to be dressed in some sort of formal outfit, however apart from a single white armband (which had some sort of symbol on it that Harry was unable to make out), each student, or small group of students seemed to be dressed uniquely. What was more surprising about this, however, was the actual makeup of the students. It appeared that many of them weren't actually /human/ He saw a small group of students towards the middle of the group that appeared to be goblins, at least two darkly dressed students that appeared to be vampires, and at least one student that he wasn't even sure what species they were. As the main group of students filed out, he took a closer look at the final group of students that came in with Captain Turner, who due to their initial proximity to the front of the line, were rather close to them.

The first to proceed after the students was the one referred to as Dex. A tall, slender boy, with brown hair and rather thick glasses and a long coat, he slowly maneuvered in the same general direction as the students, his attention seemingly everywhere at once. His gaze would sweep over the students, the castle itself, the grounds, and return, as if he was taking everything in and cataloguing everything in his mind. He could recall seeing that look on Hermione more than once in the past years, and he got the inkling that the two of them would most likely get along swimmingly if they were to meet (though he felt a slight twinge of jealousy at thinking that, which was quickly dismissed, and even more quickly forgotten). Following Dex was a pair of students that could only have been brother and sister, the older boy a tall, muscular one with unkempt brown hair, a jovial smile on his face as he chatted softly with the younger girl currently riding on his shoulders. The sister, with curly brown hair, had the exuberance of a firstie, which Harry guessed she probably was. She was constantly chattering to the boy below her, though he was completely baffled by the language they were using.

The remaining two students brought up the rear of the group, talking to the captain and who Harry could only assume was the headmistress of the school. The first was a young woman with long black hair that ran straight to a bit past her shoulders, falling partially over her face like a curtain. She was lean, but her movements spoke of a grace that Harry had only seen in the ballet programs on the telly. She didn't walk... she simply glided. Watching her pass, he turned his attention to the final student... to find him looking right back at him. The first thing he noticed was his eyes had a rather dull green color to them, but there were sparks of silver in them, which seemed to twinkle when their eyes met, similar to the headmasters'. He had a thin face, the eyes appearing to be the only real sign of life he could find. But what surprised Harry the most was a vague sense of recognition he felt upon seeing the strangers face. before he could pin down what exactly he was feeling, the group had passed by him and headed towards the castle. Shaking off the odd feeling, He shrugged, passing it off as a coincidence, and proceeded to follow the group up the castle into the great hall, chatting with Hermione on the way about the rather extraordinary bit of magic they had just seen. One thing was certain, Harry thought as they proceeded through the main doors into the foyer.

This year was going to be very interesting, indeed.

== 00 OO - OO 00 ==

A/N

Another chapter gone yet again! Thanks for listening to this point! Here's some review responses:

Schnuff: Yeah, I was up every two weeks for a while, then real life happened, and I sadly got distracted. I'm now back to a point where I can hopefully write again regularly for the foreseeable future, but in the end, yeah this is just a hobby. If it has to, it takes a hiatus. Hopefully if it happens again it wont be so long, and hopefully when you come back you'll see enough updates that youll be willing to read more. Thanks!

Dan: I can understand your hesitation in reading, and I know what I'm writing isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. For me, aside from being an experiment and my first fanfiction idea put down on paper, this is about taking the characters I know and understand, and putting them in a situation where new characters change the story, and seeing where they develop naturally. The story will always involve Harry and his friends, but it won't always be the story you know. My hope is that I can create something different with this. Or, it may just end up being a bit crap-festival. Either way, Ive written it, and I'm okay with that. You can read it, or not, I'm not judging either way.

Thanks for listening y'all

/EF/


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